A new royal start

QueenJess

Thankfully DD is all better and was asking to go to nursery this morning (all be it late because she insisted on two massive bowls of porridge for breakfast first!).  So far this morning I made an apricot cake with lemon glaze, minestrone soup (for lunch with leftovers of course), bread (currently in the oven) and a huge macaroni cheese with cauliflower and leeks already made for dinner later (and leftovers for DS's lunch).  I also am one load of washing down.

Having a nice break now for lunch and just going to taste test the cake (tastes amazing...).  Then back for another 2 loads of washing, change the beds and the rest of the towels, pick up DS from school and clear up the horrible mess I've created in the kitchen!  Hopefully will make it to gym later.  I'm more busy today than when I actually am at work!  At least it's a NSD today.

CCW007

QueenJess said:

a huge macaroni cheese with cauliflower and leeks already made for dinner later

We quite often have cauli Mac and cheese, can't believe I've never thought to put leek in it!

Bluegreen143

Recipe from my childhood - mac & cheese with broccoli and tinned tuna in. A real favourite growing up and my kids love it too now!

QueenJess

I didn't realise macroni and cheese would garter such interest   Sadly my kids don't like tuna, so I don't tend to use it - hopefully they will change their minds when they get older.

Another day and more washing to catch up on... on the second load now and got another one to go.  This morning I've already been to the doctors (quite stressful given they were horrible last time, but it was worth the one month's wait to see a woman doctor - finally making progress).  This morning I've made a batch of bread tea cakes (not made them before, but DH loves them) and three batches of banana drop scones to use up all the old bananas.  It'll make the kids happy as they love drop scones for breakfast.  Lunch today is more of the minestrone soup and dinner is going to be fish kedgeree as I have some smoked haddock that needs using up from the freezer.  Dessert is more of the apricot cake.  I am considering making custard creams this afternoon as well

Just need to write the shopping list this afternoon for the food shop tomorrow.  Hopefully I'll have a chance to sit down a little bit at some point!  Slowly getting myself caught up.  I do need to rerarrange/sort out the freezer, but my hands have cracked through the number of times I washed them whilst DD was ill, so I shall wait until they heal a bit before I delve in there.

LadyWithAPlan

Hope the female doctor helps..
Your food is killing me 'jammy biscuits', 'apricot cake'.'tea cakes'.. I am cooking up a storm in stews and soups but maybe need to start baking  hard again  
Luckily for my waistline if not my taste buds I have to be GF so most cakes out of bounds so I have to make my own .. I am feeling a gf foccacia coming on this weekend

QueenJess

Well that didn't quite go to plan... got a call from nursery yesterday afternoon that DD was ill and I had to pick her up.  Seems to be a one off though as she's home today, but is driving me crazy and eating everything in sight, so she seems to be fine.  Anyway, no time to make custard creams yesterday.  

Today my bread is on the second prove and I made a big batch of ginger biscuits instead (quicker, DD loves them and I thought it might settle her stomach a bit).  Also on the second load of washing and managed to clear off the side in the dining room that was a bit of a mess and resort DD's colouring/stickers/paperwork that seemed to be everywhere.  Lunch today is using up leftovers... DD is having beans on toast, DH is having the leftover kedgeree from last night and I'm having another batch of the minestrone soup.  Dinner will be hm pizzas with cake for dessert.  Food shopping is delayed until tomorrow now.

QueenJess

LadyWithAPlan said:

Hope the female doctor helps..
Your food is killing me 'jammy biscuits', 'apricot cake'.'tea cakes'.. I am cooking up a storm in stews and soups but maybe need to start baking  hard again  
Luckily for my waistline if not my taste buds I have to be GF so most cakes out of bounds so I have to make my own .. I am feeling a gf foccacia coming on this weekend

Yes - I was so stressed out going because the last doctor I saw was horrible and basically told me to go away and stop wasting his time.  This doctor was the complete opposite, so that was a relief.

Ooh faccacia... not made that for years.  I think last time I made it, DH and DS demolished the whole thing in one sitting

QueenJess

Did the food shop today and it was really busy.  Since I usually go on a Weds when there's often only 1 or 2 other people in there, I asked the cashier about it and they said it's been really busy all week.  When I left, there was a queue into the car park!  I guess this is the start of the xmas madness.... I mean the shops are only shut for a couple of days..

Anyway, I spent much more than planned because I tried to make the most of offers/coupons.  Bought things I didn't need yet but usually buy (shelf stable stuff that lasts) for £3 of coupons off, grabbed some more ys organic chicken thighs (they are usually good at stock control so not expecting these to be a regular thing and although it wasn't a huge discount, I do use these regularly) and then went to buy something on my list for £2.20 to find it was 3 for £5.  At this point I can't work out whether the supermarket is winning by getting my cash earlier (although not really because I am using my gift cards from work at a 5.5% discount bought on the joint credit card where I earn points to get money off sm shopping) or whether I am winning.  I guess it only works if I work through everything and spend very little going forwards.  It will be a challenge to see how long I can use these gift cards for before they run out, but equally I will try and make the best use of the spend £150 for £15 off vouchers I have.

No baking required to day, which is really very strange, but I am still scaling the laundry mountain with another 2 loads to do today.  I might be slowly catching up with it all.  Lunch today will be poached eggs, toast, kale and mushrooms.  Dinner is all leftovers, which works well as I am off to gym later and so need to eat earlier than everyone else.  I'm having the last of the macaroni cheese, the kids are having leftover pizza and carrot sticks and DH is having the leftover kedgeree.  I'll actually have to cook some dinner tomorrow lol.

Had a quick rummage in the freezer yesterday as I have lost some glass containers that must be in there somewhere.  Found one hidden at the bottom with bread in and I have a feeling it was garlic bread.  Will be using that up soon now I've re-found it.  I've also got a silly amount of frozen fruit, so an apple and blackberry crumble is on the horizon.  Also got a ton of redcurrants to use up in there from my monster redcurrant bush... they are also good in crumbles, but might try some in my morning porridge as well.  Sadly I will have to dig right to the bottom of the freezer for that one.  Might decant some into a smaller container and put it in the kitchen freezer so I remember to use it up.  Ooh.. actually I have a recipe somewhere for baked mixed frozen fruit and oats as a breakfast...  I must give that a try for when I think DH is game.  I don't think the kids will go for that.

Right, better go and empty the washing machine so I can put another load on and then think about making some lunch.

Edit: Had a brainwave and I have a couple of apples going soft, plus one DS took one teeny bite off and then left (wobbly teeth problem...).  So I will make these plus some of the frozen fruit in the freezer into some compote to top yogurt and porridge.  That will be on the list for this afternoon, plus tidying, washing, washing up and possibly whilst I am there.. rearranging a small portion of the freezer.

themadvix

Red currants stewed with some chopped apple (and sometimes a little bit of sugar) are great on porridge 😊

QueenJess

themadvix said:

Red currants stewed with some chopped apple (and sometimes a little bit of sugar) are great on porridge 😊

That’s good news as I have apple, redcurrants and blackcurrants with a small bit of muscavado sugar stewing right now for porridge