Most of the meals we have cooked and eaten for the last few years have catered to his tastes (pizzas, roast dinners, rich casseroles and hearty cooked breakfasts) instead of mine which would [...]]]> My tremendous man likes his food but has us both worried about the minimal number of vegetables or fruit he eats voluntarily.

Most of the meals we have cooked and eaten for the last few years have catered to his tastes (pizzas, roast dinners, rich casseroles and hearty cooked breakfasts) instead of mine which would lean towards including many salads, soups, fish dishes and many meat-free meals.

Because of this reliance of meaty dishes (partly) we have both gained unwanted weight and would like to eat less heavy meals and introduce more vegetarian items to our main evening meals. On thumbing through the vegetarian cookbooks it transpired that there was very little which sounded nice to B. I suggested to him that maybe we/he need to stop thinking in terms of what would TASTE like a good treat to eat but what would be a good treat for our insides to eat.

As well of the health risks associated with eating a long-term diet rich in meat and saturated fats (heart disease and bowel disease mainly I think) we also would like aim to be able to buy a higher quality of meat, locally reared less often than the mass-produced supermarket supplied cuts more frequently. Local, organic meat is without a doubt an expensive commodity but by only eating meat once a week for our main meal we hope to be able to buy a fine bird or joint for our Sunday roast dinner.

Last week I managed to compile and cook a full week’s worth of vegetarian dinners all of which were well received by B and I’m happy to share them with you here:

• Roasted vegetables (red onion, red peppers, courgettes, aubergine, mushrooms) ith grilled haloumi cheese, houmous and raw spinach leaves
• (grated) Courgette and red onion cheese quiche with wholemeal shortcrust pastry and homemade coleslaw
• Vegatable lasagne (with majority of veg being chopped into pretty small pieces but the mushrooms left chunky as an almost-meat substitute)
• Jacket potato with tuna mayonnaise (added finely chopped spring onion, red pepper, celery and sweetcorn kernals)
• Vegetarian grills (Quorn I think) bought from a shop made to be like pretend breaded chicken escalopes served with potato wedges
• Bean stew – the same as our sausage casserole only without the sausages

And when I’m home alone the following options are invariably cooked and eaten as both are my favourites but sadly abhored by Mr B:

• Chick pea dahl (surprisingly delicious tinned option from Morrisons) augmented with spinach, served with boiled rice, natural yoghurt and mango chutney
• Any one of a number of scrumptious risottos (pea, mushroom, courgette, plain old onion) all made with homemade frozen chicken stock (I recognise that this disqualifies it from being classified as vegetarian), white wine and lashings of parmeasan cheese.

My good friend Deborah has a very busy time as has a high powered job as a [...]]]> I had a busy week last week as took all three littles to stay with very special friends in London who made us very welcome despite the inevitable noise and chaos we bring with us wherever we go.

My good friend Deborah has a very busy time as has a high powered job as a civil servant but also manages to dedicate lots of time to her three little daughters (two year old twins and a five year old), she and her husband rather miraculously manage to keep their lovely home looking nice and tidy too!

When quizzed about the secrets of juggling so many important ‘balls’ at once without dropping any of them she told me that as well as having lots of lovely regular help from the girls grandparents (both sets of grandparents make a weekly visit, sometimes more), a cleaner, and some bathtime help from the teenage girls living next door, they also have a strict routine of planning ahead each Sunday night which involves creating a menu plan for the children, placing the online grocery order makes a lot of stress, looking at the calendar to see what things are happening and how that might impact clothes/packed lunches etc.

I was super impressed with the menu plan which was pinned up on the wall for all to see. They started having a plan when their baby twins came along and the house was full of people helping. Each night whoever was helping would ask their elder daughter what would she like for dinner and she would always say ‘pasta’ as it is her favourite food. After a couple of weeks the parents realised that she had eaten nothing but pasta for as long as they could remember and so now a plan helps them to keep their children informed as to what they’ll be eating that lunchtime or evening and any other adult pitching in with getting food on the table before little tummies start growling can look to see what is on the menu.

Next to the weekly kids menu plan was the shopping list which made sense as they are able to add to the list in preparation for the week ahead and also as they run out of things.

Sample kids menu (*with grateful thanks to Deborah and John)

Mon lunch: Chicken goujons, peas and chips
Mon supper: Noodles and sweetcorn

Tues lunch: Soft boiled eggs, bread and butter and tomatoes or carrot sticks
Tues supper: Fish fingers, chips and brocolli

Wed lunch: Bagels and ham or smoked salmon and cream cheese
Wed supper: Pasta bolognaise with cheese

Thurs lunch: Lamb casserole
Thurs supper: Beefburgers, bun tomatoes and cucumber

Fri lunch: Chicken and sweet potato
Fri supper: Jacket potato, beans and cheese

Sat lunch: Roast chicken, brocolli and carrots and potatoes
Sat supper: Pasta with cheese

Sun lunch: Sausages and mash with sweetcorn
Sun supper: Sandwiches

I’m finding that just having a master list of things my two kids like to eat stuck to the fridge is a help but personally find a rigid menu plan too constraining for us as sometimes our plans change so I’ll just make a quick cheese on toast (or ‘pizza toast’ if its got a layer of ketchup, then bits of ham underneath the bubbling cheese) with some carrot sticks or even give them a nice bowl of comforting ready break or weetabix if they’re especially tired and hungry. But a master list enables me to think’ah yes we all love lasagne and I’ve got some minced beef AND I have the time/inclination to make one today while the kids are playing with their friends’. As many people, I try to make favourite sauces, casseroles etc in bulk and freeze a couple of extra portions. I also always double the amount of pasta or rice so that I can put some in the fridge for another extra easy meal the next day (heat up, add some grated cheese or tuna et voila).

The oher thing I remind myself fairly regularly is that kids don’t actually need or want a huge variety of meals. As long as they are getting plenty of the right amounts of the major food groups in milk, cheese, fruit or vegetables, bread, potatoes, rice or cereals and not too much sugar then they are likely to grow up enjoying food and healthy too.

My list of things my kids eat:

Beef lasagne
Tuna pasta bake
Shepherds pie
Eggy bread
Tomato soup
Cheese on toast
Homemade burgers (with secret veg)
Fishcakes
Spaghetti bolognaise
Sandwiches
Noodles
Sweetcorn
Sausages and mashed potato
Scrambled egg
Fish fingers
Lamb chops

PS: I found this lovely looking menu planner/shopping list pad for sale at Organised Mum last night – it sticks to the fridge and has a pencil too. Being of a thrifty nature I make do with a cheapo lined shopping list blu-tacked to the fridge with a pencil stuck on another blob of blu-tack but this might find itself on my Christmas wishlist…

On top of all these likes/dislikes we’re trying to be healthier and [...]]]> I love vegetables, Bealers isn’t so keen, he loves pasta & bread but I can’t eat gluten, I could eat rice every day and never get sick of it, he can’t abide the stuff, I rate fish and shellfish highly but Bealers doesn’t!

On top of all these likes/dislikes we’re trying to be healthier and more thrifty with our food budget so what meals does that leave on the list of things we both like and won’t blow the budget (and are easy to make!). Luckily we are both meat eaters so are at least compatible on that.

• Pork & cider casserole with mash/rice/baked potatoes
• Hungarian beef goulash with rice
• Chilli with corn tortillas, grated cheese, avocado, salsa and greek yoghurt
• Curry of all kinds (rice for her, naan bread for him)
• Roast dinners
• Omlettes of all kinds
• Fish, chips & mushy peas
• Spicy beanburgers and salad
• Wheat free lasagne
• Thai red curry with veg and tofu
• Jacket potatoes with homemade coleslaw & cheese or houmous & salad
• Lamb/pork chops with new potatoes salad/veg
• Fried breakfasts (bacon, eggs, tomatoes, baked beans and mushrooms)

Not a huge list there. A lovely new years resolution designed by Bealers was to use our plentiful supply of recipe books and try to cook something new from one of them every week of the year so we discover new dishes which we both enjoy. So far he has stuck to his plan and last week we had a very tasty supper from the latest Jamie Oliver book ‘At Home’ with chicken thighs, new potatoes and tomatoes all roasted together in a big oven proof tray.
When Bealers is away or out for the evening I always treat myself to one of my personal favourites:

• Rataouille with rice or a jacket potato or just on its own with grated cheese
• Chick pea and spinach curry
• Risotto either plain, ‘green’ (peas, courgettes, brocolli) with loads of white wine and parmeasan
• Fisherman’s pie
• Bacon, spinach & avocado salad
• Fresh soup

Instead of cooking a classic dinner such as spaghetti bolgnaise, fish fingers and mash etc with vegetables and then battling with them to eat up and finally, defeated hoovering most of the left overs up [...]]]> I’ve just realised that I’ve stumbled upon a new improved way of feeding my children which has been mighty successful.

Instead of cooking a classic dinner such as spaghetti bolgnaise, fish fingers and mash etc with vegetables and then battling with them to eat up and finally, defeated hoovering most of the left overs up myself. I now don’t know what I’m putting on the table until a few minutes before and just raid the fridge for ‘grazing items’ bearing in mind that a good meal will have representation from the major food groups (carbohydrates, protein and of course the all important fruit n veg).

It seems to me that both children are now eating far more fresh fruit and vegetables than before as they prefer raw snacks and as there is a wide choice of things to pick from both are eating their fill of things they enjoy but occasionally tempted to try something they would not have previously entertained eating. They are also rarely eating processed food.

As an example tonight for tea I opened the fridge and grabbed the following and a delicious spread was provided by the time they washed their hands and sat down:

• Half a corn on the cob each (microwaved) with a big knob of butter next to it
• Half a pitta each
• Cherry tomatoes for Edie
• Sugar snap peas for Mo
• A wedge of Edam cheese
• A slice of ham
• A glass of milk
• Chopped apple for Mo / orange for Eden
• A fromage frais

Yum!

So now I try to have a load of fresh salady items in the fridge (carrots, celery, tomatoes, peppers, cucumber) and a fruit bowl full of fruit (apples, oranges, pears, bananas, grapes), a few different cheeses (cream cheese, cheddar, Edam), some meats (ham is a favourite, so is beef, tins of tuna in oil), a few bready/cereal options (pitta, sliced white, tortillas, crackers, rice cakes) fruit juices, milk, yoghurts. My son also loves dried fruits such as apricots, banana chips, prunes, cranberries.

One of my kids loves rice, noodles and potatoes but the other hates them so as a result I never cooked a kids meal with these things in. I do however cook extra rice or potatoes in the evening if I am cooking them for myself and Bealers, pop the leftovers in the fridge and have a very delighted child when they are presented with a small, cold bowl of beloved carbs to munch on.

This morning saw another flash of foodie inspiration. It was Day 4 of kids being ready to leave the house for school by 8.20am. Yesterday I was charging around the house at 8.19 looking for hairbands, flannels to wipe faces, shouting for them to get their shoes on etc so I told them today would be different. They were to get dressed BEFORE they went downstairs (a first) I told them this was because they are now Big Children and I know they won’t spill cereal on their school uniform. They were then to brush teeth and then they would be allowed to watch TV but only until 8am when we would all do final last minute bits & bobs before leaving the house (ie. not gawping at the telly until the moment we were due to leave the house and then announcing they needed a wee).

It worked like a dream and as an added bonus they were sitting at the kitchen table chatting to me pleasantly and looking at their reading books (what angels!) while I merrily made their daddy’s lunchtime sandwich. I asked them if they’d like some bread or fruit. They both ended up eating half an apple (one chopped in half to share as , some milk and some nice warm crusty baguette. I was pleased as am not convinced that they’ll last until lunchtime without a snack at school.

Mealtime grazing seems to be the way forward for the younger members this family especially now that they are having hot school dinners of a traditional nature (shepherds pie, spaghetti and meatballs, chicken neopolitan, vegetable korma this week).

At some point I’ll [...]]]> I’m putting this list together as a reference tool as I often forget the things the whole family likes to eat. The girls in this house will eat anything put in front of them (especially salads and things made from chick peas) but the Beale boys are a little more discerning…

At some point I’ll type the recipes that we use out.

• Pork and cider casserole
• Crudites, crackers, dips, cheese and ham
• Curries
• Roast dinner
• Meatloaf, mash, broccoli/cauliflower cheese and peas (any left over mash, caul cheese and peas can be made into cauli-cheese burgers when mixed together and coated in breadcrumbs)
• Sausages
• Spaghetti & meatballs
• Hungarian goulash
• Home made pizza using the breadmachine for the dough
• Poached chicken and vegetables
• Lamb stew/Lancashire hotpot
• Veggie sausages in a roll with fried onions
• Noodles with clear chicken broth and thinly sliced veggies (pepper, chilli, onion, mushroom, brocolli)
• Falafels
• Baked potatoes with houmous; cheese and homemade coleslaw, cheese and baked beans
• Potato wedges
• Risottos (actually that’s a lie as its only us girls who love rice)
• Omlette with ham, onion, tomatoes, mushrooms and cheese
• Chilli con carne
• Tomato, bacon and cheese pasta
• Tortillas with cheese, pepper, onion etc inside heated on a frying pan

We all had a really happy, relaxed time of it partly because the late November sun shone so we all got lots of hearty country air [...]]]> We had a lovely full house this weekend as our friends (two couples and their five children) came from Wanstead, East London to visit us here in the sticks.

We all had a really happy, relaxed time of it partly because the late November sun shone so we all got lots of hearty country air and exercise, the kids (all under 9 years old) got on fantastically well and enjoyed playing together, we kept the food and booze levels nice and high. Nobody (I hope) had more than a few moments between refreshments.

Now that our chums have left to go home and Bealers and I are sitting in the same breakfast room which saw so much chatting and eating this weekend we are saying that the food we did for the gang is a menu scheme we would do again – essentially hearty British winter stodge which everyone was able to pitch in with helping in the kitchen with preparation. Bealers and I talked on Thursday night about what we would eat and therefore what we needed to make and shop for and we’ve just agreed that it all went to plan – we particularly liked the fact that all the meals were done as a buffet in the kitchen for people to help themselves (or parents to help the little ones) which meant less clearing away afterwards…

Saturday lunch (kids & adults):

• Bread & butter
• Strong cheddar cheese
• Thick slices of ham cooked on the bone
• Quiches
• Cherry tomatoes
• Crisps & dips
• Soup (not really needed)
• Fruit juices (kids)
• Tea (adults)
• Victoria sponge cake
• (should have remembered that we had 8 jars of homemade pickled onions to use at this point but instead had them as h’ors d’oevres later)

[Big Walk]

Saturday tea/supper (kids):

• Pizzas (3 for six children)
• Chocolate upside down sponge pudding & cream
• Fruit & yoghurt

Saturday dinner (grown ups):

• 2 x roast chickens (stuffed with lemon, tarragon & garlic)
• Roast potatoes
• Roast parsnips
• Roast leeks & onions
• Stuffing
• Carrots
• Peas
• Cauliflower & broccoli cheese
• Champagne (thanks guys!)
• (far too full to even entertain the idea of desert – we would have had apricot tart & custard)

Sunday breakfast:

• Cereals
• Toast
• Croissants & pain au chocolat
• COFFEE
• Juice

[Blustery hilly walk]

Sunday brunch/lunch:

• Sausages
• Bacon
• Scrambled eggs
• Baked beans
• Tomatoes
• Brown bread & butter
• Fried potato
• MORE COFFEE