Old styler fallen by the wayside!

tiff

Please help, I seem to have lost all my old style ways during the Easter hols, my kids go back to school on Monday.

I cant seem to get organised with food, my kids arguing and wanting to be taken out somewhere everyday etc. I seem to have been to Tesco a lot lately but only quick shops as my kids are doing my head in!

So, I really need some encouragement now that they are going back to school, basically I need a boot up the behind!

I need some meal plans for the next week. I will be doing the shopping on Monday. Can someone help me please?

tru

Tiif, I can't help, sorry. The same thing happens to me during the hols :rolleyes: I start to cook food, then one of the kids ring and say 'can I have tea at X's house, his mum says it's OK' Half an hour later the phone rings again. 'X's mum says it's OK if I sleep over. Is that OK?' I end up not cooking anything until they are actually in the house (though they're never there at the same time).


Roll on monday :j

Magentasue

This is my (Veggie) meal plan for this week:

WEEK 3 APRIL

Sunday
CAULIFLOWER CHEESE
APPLE CRUMBLE

Monday
CHEESE WHIRLS
FRUIT SALAD

Tuesday
LEEKS IN CHEESE SAUCE
BREAD AND BUTTER PUDDING

Wednesday
POTATO PIE
MERINGUES

Thursday
PIZZA
BAKED APPLES

Friday
TOAD IN THE HOLE
YOGURT

Saturday
STEW
CHOCOLATE CAKE

Obviously not low fat! We have a veg box so I have a cabbage, parsnips, carrots, broccoli and salad to use with it.

HTH!

Queenie

Awwww ((hugs)) - we all fall off from time to time; pick yourself up, dust yourself down, stick some earplugs in, grab a cuppa and ..... R.E.L.A.X

To keep you sane today and tomorrow - have the kids write out *their* favourite foods and get *them* to work out a menu plan (you don't have to stick with it, but it should keep them quiet for a bit and you never know, they might even provide some inspiration). When they've done that, reward them with a game of Snap for 20 mins of your time.
Next, get the kids to write an inventory of your freezer From that you will know where you are with your stocks and might be able to jiggle their menu plans around their freezer inventory After that, reward the kids with another activity of 20 mins of your time.
You could also hand them some of your recipe books and ask them to write down any recipes *they* think sound fun/yummy/delightful

I'm dead serious! Even with a little bit of supervision, Primary School Age kids are able to do these tasks themselves - I've done it! If they are Secondary School age ... they'll need no supervision and it's a great "life lesson".

Once Monday comes, you'll be able to breathe a sigh of relief and become focused once again (although you probably won't feel like doing much until Tuesday )

moggins

I'm in the same position this week, the kids have been a nightmare and I haven't even got this weeks meal plan written yet.

I am not discouraged though, just got the son off to his dad's, my little one is playing quietly so I am about to drag the lists out and start work.

I deserve a sit down anyway, I've spent all morning ripping up the old decking and preparing the base for the new shed to go up tomorrow.

Caterina

I have totally fallen off the Old Style lately too - my kids were on holiday skiing and I found myself (SUDDENLY!) with plenty of time and a bit of money due to a contract completed in the few days before their departure.

So I took myself off to the centre of London and had a few treats, including a double CD, bowl of chinese noodle soup and a session at the cinema (but it was the Prince Charles one, the very cheap one and I only paid £1.50 because I am a member).

Today I went totally mad doing my food shopping, as they kids are back and they told me that food in the Austrian Youth Hostel was disgusting. I went to Waitrose and spent a fortune in stuffed pasta, fancy berries, cheesecake etc (too busy to do it from scratch today and really wanted to give them a treat).

On Monday I start my new job YIPPEE!!! and will start being more organised too.

Let's forgive ourselves for a bit of going off the rails occasionally, we are only human, and I bet that even though we 'overspend' sometimes, it never is as bad as the Non MSE people hehehehe

Love to all

Caterina

Pooky

My meal plan for this week...... (Due to 2 medium ready cooked chickens from morrisons for a fiver!)

Tonight ---- Home made burgers and homemade wedges, veg.

Sunday ---- Roast pots, parsnips, stuffing, broccoli, carrots and chicken.

Monday ---- Leek and potato soup, homemade rolls.

Tuesday ---- Chicken pie and mash and veg.

Wednesday --- Stomboli - Reciepe taken from on here!

Thursday ---- Chicken curry and rice

Friday ---- Homemade fishcakes for the kids, what ever needs eating up for us.

Will make some mini quiches, pasta salads and bread sticks for lunch boxes this week and probably some biscuits for treats.

Fresh fruit for pudding, got loads from the market today, and will stew up anything that's going off by thursday for a crumble with custard.

Not low fat but good decent homemade food, will make the majority of it up on Sunday and stick it in the fridge till needed.

Ingredients cost...

Chickens - £5.00
Veg for week - £4.60
Fruit for week - £4.00
Flour - 84p
Marg and butter - 80p
Eggs - 80p
Milk - £1.09
Bread - £1.32 (for brekkie)
Tuna - 36p
Store cupboard stuff (custard powder, stock cubes etc. ) £2 approx.

Total of £20.81 - Not bad for 4 of us.


I've actually found it easier to keep it up over the Easter hols, but i've had a lot of help from my 2 .....I'm actually going to miss them when they go back!!

I must admit that my meal plan is the same as last week - i'm taking advantage of the chickens while they are on offer.

I know how easy it is to slip into bad habits tho...my pin money challenge money seems to have got lost somewhere...I'll blame that on Easter tho

mrsmab59

Magentasue wrote:

Wednesday
POTATO PIE
MERINGUES

Thanks Magentasue.
Could you give us your recipe for potato pie please

silverfoxdude

Your all so organised. I have just moved in with my fella and he has a 14 yr old, i have a 12 yr old and for the life of me i cant get organised. My boyfriend and his son just used to live on rubbish and now i can cook them lovely meals, but its so different cooking for 4 rather than just two.

And in reply to tiff, there aint much point trying to get organised from the holidays, because before you know it, theres more time off school, lol

Magentasue

mrsmab59 wrote:

Thanks Magentasue.
Could you give us your recipe for potato pie please

Yes,of course, it's the one we were talking about on the cooking for the freezer thread. I found it in a Cranks book, someone reminded me it was called Homity Pie:

It's a baked pastry case filled with a mixture of boiled potatoes, lightly fried onions and garlic, grated cheese, chopped parsley, lump of butter and salt and pepper. It can be topped with grated cheese or cheese and breadcrumbs. The pie is then cooked until it's the proverbial golden brown.

Quantities can be varied but we like it heavy on the cheese and parsley.

You can make them individually or one big pie. I've got potatoes to use up, that's why we're having this AND cheese whirls this week. I make a big pie and use about half a dozen medium potatoes, a couple of onions and about 6oz grated cheese. While the pastry is cooking, you can cook the veg, mix it up and then pile it in. I always cook pastry at 200C but the finished pie can go in at anything from 160-200C to heat through and brown the top. I put extra cheese on top.

Cheese whirls are another potato pie my kids' school dinner lady gave me. You can use left over potatoes or mash for this:

Roll out a pack of puff pastry into a large oblong.
Mix some mashed potato with plenty of grated cheese, salt and pepper and (if you like) cooked onion, parsley, garlic etc
Mix in most of a beaten egg to make the potato 'spreadable'
Spread the potato over the pastry, don't go right up to the edges of the long sides
Brush the rest of the egg on to the long edges
Now roll up like a swiss roll and cut into slices about an inch wide.
Lay the slices flat on a baking tray and cook at 200C for about 14 mins

tiff

Queenie wrote:

Awwww ((hugs)) - we all fall off from time to time; pick yourself up, dust yourself down, stick some earplugs in, grab a cuppa and ..... R.E.L.A.X

To keep you sane today and tomorrow - have the kids write out *their* favourite foods and get *them* to work out a menu plan (you don't have to stick with it, but it should keep them quiet for a bit and you never know, they might even provide some inspiration). When they've done that, reward them with a game of Snap for 20 mins of your time.
Next, get the kids to write an inventory of your freezer From that you will know where you are with your stocks and might be able to jiggle their menu plans around their freezer inventory After that, reward the kids with another activity of 20 mins of your time.
You could also hand them some of your recipe books and ask them to write down any recipes *they* think sound fun/yummy/delightful

I'm dead serious! Even with a little bit of supervision, Primary School Age kids are able to do these tasks themselves - I've done it! If they are Secondary School age ... they'll need no supervision and it's a great "life lesson".

Once Monday comes, you'll be able to breathe a sigh of relief and become focused once again (although you probably won't feel like doing much until Tuesday )

I would have tried to do what you say but unfortunately we are all busy doing different things today. Daughter at Nanny's, son and hubby gone to watch football and I am off to the gym. I had a bit of "ME" time yesterday and today, so I'm feeling less stressed than I was. My Mum has had a chat with me telling me I need to be firmer with my 7 year old as he runs me ragged. How do I do that without having a battle over every single incident?

Anyway, back to food. Thanks for the meal plans, I need to write down the meals that I make regularly and also take some suggestions from here to write my own list which I will do when I get back from the gym. Tomorrow they are back at school, I have to work in the morning then I will do the shopping and possibly make a meal before they get home from school.

I feel better now!