Thursday, April 5, 2012

Menu - Week 2/4/2012

Here is this week's menu. Late I know.  Been ill for the better part of the week so blogging took a back seat!

Monday:
Breakfast - cereal and fruit
Lunch - hot dogs
Dinner - roast chicken and vegetables - broccoli, zucchini, carrots, sweet potato, onion and potato
Dessert - fruit yoghurt

Tuesday:
Breakfast - hot cross buns
Lunch - out
Dinner - chicken ceaser salad
Dessert - pear galette

Wednesday:
Breakfast - toast and spreads
Lunch - mixed vegetable soup
Dinner - oven baked fish, chips and salad
Dessert - nil

Thursday:
Breakfast - cereal and fruit
Lunch - mixed vegetable soup
Dinner - Pasta and meatballs
Dessert - sweets

Friday:
Breakfast - hot cross buns
Lunch - mixed vegetable soup
Dinner - fish and vegetables
Dessert - nil

Saturday:
Breakfast - out
Lunch - out
Dinner - soy and sweet chilli pork balls with rice and stirfry vegetables - broccoli, carrots, capsicum, spring onions, beans
Dessert - icecream

Sunday:
Breakfast - pancakes and easter eggs
Lunch - bacon and avocado toasted sandwiches
Dinner - roast pork and vegetables - potato, pumpkin, onion, sweet potato, beans, carrots
Dessert - easter eggs

I have already started posting recipes in a file on the side bar and will continue to do so over the coming weeks til caught up to the present.  Hope you have a happy and peaceful Easter and if on the roads - a safe one.

Eat well, Live well!
Cheers
Susie

Monday, March 26, 2012

Recipes

I am going to start posting the recipes I use each week.  I will post them in a separate section in categories so they will be easy to find.

Eat well, Live well!
Cheers
Susie

Sunday, March 25, 2012

Menu - Week 26/3/2012

An update on last week's menu - we ended up ditching the roast lamb and having a saffron and lemon chicken risotto instead.  I was not well and not up to the whole palaver of a roast.  There was enough left over for my daughter to take to school for her lunch.

On to this week's menu.

Monday:
Breakfast - Toast and cereal
Lunch - pumpkin soup
Dinner - middle eastern lamb pizzas
Dessert - fruit yoghurt

Tuesday:
Breakfast -fruit salad
Lunch - left overs
Dinner - pork sausages and vegetables
Dessert - choc chip cookies

Wednesday:
Breakfast - toast and cheese melts
Lunch - out
Dinner - butter chicken, rice and pappadums
Dessert - nil

Thursday:
Breakfast - cereal
Lunch - cheese and tomato melts
Dinner - soy and sweet chilli pork balls, stir fry veg and noodles
Dessert - fruit yoghurt

Friday:
Breakfast - egg and toast soldiers
Lunch - out
Dinner - steak and salad
Dessert - baked apples

Saturday:
Breakfast - out
Lunch - out
Dinner - grilled fish and salad
Dessert - icecream

Sunday :
Breakfast - hot cross buns
Lunch - bacon and cheese rolls
Dinner - roast chicken and vegetables
Dessert - apple and pear crumble with custard

Planting some more herbs this weekend to replace the ones the possums ate.  I will have a herb garden!! Used some of my chives in last night's risotto - hugely satisfying!

This week's budget was $80 and included things like toilet paper.  I have managed not to exceed it but next week I have to buy washing powder so that will be a stretch to keep to $80.

Eat well, Live well!
Cheers
Susie

Saturday, March 17, 2012

Menu - Week 19/3/2012

OMG - I am on time!  No, the sky is not falling in  - but yes, I am trying to be more organised.  Wrote myself a "to do" list last night and am achieving success ticking it off.

Monday:
Breakfast - Banana bread
Lunch - chicken and avocado toasted sandwich
Dinner - lamb korma, tumeric and almond rice, spicy beans
Dessert - watermelon

Tuesday :
Breakfast - cereal and fruit
Lunch - left over curry
Dinner - chicken ceaser salad (using leftover chicken from Sunday night)
Dessert - icecream

Wednesday:
Breakfast - banana bread
Lunch - vegetable soup
Dinner - cantonese chicken stir fry with vegetables and rice noodles
Dessert - nil

Thursday:
Breakfast - cereal and fruit
Lunch - pumpkin and sweet potato soup
Dinner - beef rissoles, vegetables, chilli and tomato salsa
Dessert - pear galette

Friday:
Breakfast - boiled egg and toast soldiers
Lunch - toasted rissole and salsa sandwich
Dinner - pork chops, apple salsa and salad
Dessert - brownies

Saturday :
Breakfast - banana bread
Lunch - sushi
Dinner - out
Dessert - out

Sunday:
Breakfast - croissants and jam
Lunch - vegetable and bacon frittata
Dinner - roast lamb and vegetables
Dessert - apple crumble and custard

The banana bread for breakfasts during the week I am making tonight with our left over bananas from the week.  There are enough to also make some banana muffins which I will freeze. The only purchased meals of the week are Saturday -  lunch (sushi - my treat for doing the shopping!) and the evening meal which will be fast food as we will be at a sporting event.  Our budget this week was $120 and we did not exceed it (so far!).  Hopefully there will not be any unforeseen food or household crises.

Last Saturday night my daughter decided to make a dessert not on the list.  She made a 'make your own flavour' jelly mix.  She chose Fanta soft drink as her flavouring and it turned out really well.  She also made some little pots of jelly to take to school for snacks - 76c for 6 pots as opposed to nearly a dollar for one pot in the supermarket. Hopefully that's a budgeting lesson she has learnt well.

Hope your week goes well.

Eat well, Live well!
Cheers
Susie

Friday, March 16, 2012

Menu - Week 12/3/2012

I'm late, I'm late!!!  Very hectic week this week so I have been cooking but not posting - SORRY (grovel grovel!)

Monday:
Breakfast - cereal and fruit
Lunch - scrambled eggs on toast
Dinner - spaghetti bolognese and salad
Dessert - ice creams from the shop

Tuesday:
Breakfast - toast
Lunch - spaghetti meat jaffles
Dinner - pizza and garlic bread
Dessert - nil

Wednesday:
Breakfast - cereal and fruit
Lunch - sandwiches
Dinner - tacos and salad
Dessert - nil

Thursday:
Breakfast - Toast and boiled egg
Lunch - taco meat jaffles
Dinner - middle eastern lamb kebabs and rice
Dessert - grown up chocolate crackles

Friday:
Breakfast - yoghurt
Lunch - sandwiches
Dinner - sausages and vegetables with salsa
Dessert - apple turnover

Saturday:
Breakfast - banana bread
Lunch - sushi
Dinner - steak and salad
Dessert - poached pears

Sunday:
Breakfast - waffles and maple syrup
Lunch - hot dogs
Dinner - roast chicken and vegetables
Dessert - apple pie and cream

Hope you have had a healthy week and managed to stay within your budget.  Mine for last week was $80 but we went a little over because of some household products that we needed.  Hopefully this week will be better.  Swings and round-a-bouts!!

Eat well, Live well!
Cheers
Susie 

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Menu update

Last night's dessert was a total suprise.  I had planned yoghurt but my daughter made chocolate fondant stars as a surprise.  Very yummy. Both children are good in the kitchen - I just have to work out a way to get them in there on a regular night so I can have a night off.  Being a single parent means so little time off that you treasure it when you can get it.  Not complaining though.  My marriage may not have lasted but it produced two wonderful amazing young people so it was not a total disaster!!  It's a cold and rainy day here so tonight's comfort food of spaghetti bolognese is just right!  Have a good day.

Eat well, Live well!
Cheers
Susie

Monday, March 5, 2012

Menu - Week 5/3/2012

Hello for another week.  Due to busy social lives Sunday night's dinner from last week was postponed until Monday night this week.  So here goes this week's menu:


Monday:
Breakfast - banana and blueberry bread
Lunch - boiled eggs and toast soldiers
Dinner - Tacos and salad
Dessert - fruit salad

Tuesday:
Breakfast - fruit salad and yoghurt
Lunch - banana on toast
Dinner - chicken and vegetable stirfry
Dessert - nil

Wednesday:
Breakfast - toast and scrambled eggs
Lunch - minestrone soup
Dinner - soy and sweet chilli pork balls, rice and broccoli
Dessert - yoghurt

Thursday:
Breakfast - cereal and fruit
Lunch - out
Dinner - spaghetti bolognese and salad
Dessert - melon

Friday:
Breakfast - blueberry muffins
Lunch - cream of vegetable soup
Dinner - bacon and vegetable rissotto with salad
Dessert - nil

Saturday:
Breakfast - out
Lunch - out
Dinner - sausages, chips and salad
Dessert - nil

Sunday:
Breakfast - croissants
Lunch - out
Dinner - lamb korma, tumeric and almond rice, spicy beans and pappadums
Dessert - icecream

All the soups are homemade and so are our chips.  I make as much as possible from scratch - 1. it's cheaper and 2. you know what's in it!!  When the weather cools down I will go back to making a loaf of bread every couple of days - it's a treat that the kids really enjoy.

Eat well, Live well!
Cheers susie

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Menu - Week 27/2/12

Well here I am -  late again!  Seems to be the story of my life lately.  I get things part done (the writing and shopping for the menu) but don't get them finished (the blogging). For March my resolution is - Be Better Organised!!.  I can't do year long resolutions because I get bored and slack and I forget  - so I find it better to have a monthly goal which hopefully will turn into a habit!

Our household goal this month is to get a worm farm to reduce our contribution to waste.  We don't have much food wastage but peelings and the odd bit of leftover rice etc make me feel guilty when I put them in the bin so a worm farm will help there.  Also it will provide fertiliser for the herbs for free.  I used some of our sage with last sunday night's roast.  Very yummy!!

This weeks menu:

Monday:
Breakfast - toast and fruit
Lunch - everybody out
Dinner - pork (leftovers) and veg stir fry with soy rice (cooked by Claudia)
Dessert - yoghurt

Tuesday:
Breakfast - cereal and fruit
Lunch - sauteed mushrooms and garlic on seeded toasted roll
Dinner - pepper and lime chicken with vegetable stir fry
Dessert - easy apple pie

Wednesday:
Breakfast - banana bread
Lunch - cream of vegetable soup and a crusty roll
Dinner - pork chops and vegetables
Dessert - apple pie (leftovers)

Thursday:
Breakfast - boiled eggs and toast
Lunch - toasted cheese and tomato roll
Dinner - sausages, chips and salad
Dessert - yoghurt

Friday:
Breakfast - waffles and maple syrup
Lunch - everybody out
Dinner - sweet chilli pork balls, rice and broccoli
Dessert - choc chip cookies

Saturday:
Breakfast - out
Lunch - out
Dinner - home made pizza and salad
Dessert - icecream

Sunday:
Breakfast - croissants and jam
Lunch - bacon and cheese rolls with salad
Dinner - home made tacos
Dessert - fruit salad

This week's household spend was $20 fruit and veg (co-op) and $90 for the rest of the household supermarket expenses.  Have had to buy more milk though so that was another $3.  Am starting to run out of a few dry goods basics so will have to do a bigger shop this coming week.  Hope your household budget is going well.

Eat well, Live well!
Cheers
Susie

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Menu - Week 20/2/12

More timely this week because I have started the week in a more organised frame of mind!  Some weeks are just train wrecks but this week is starting well.  The $20 box of fruit and veg is still coming and I have some lovely variegated eggplant and red banana chillis to use up before tomorrow so I am going to be a bit creative with tonight's vegetable offering!  The banana chillis I am going to put into a soup that I will have for lunch tomorrow and thursday.  My daughter is back at school so she usually has a meat and salad roll and a fruit salad as her meal at school and when my son is working he takes a salad and a fruit salad.

Monday:
Breakfast - Cereal and fruit
Lunch -      sandwich
Dinner -     roast chicken and vegetables
Dessert -   golden syrup dumplings

Tuesday:
Breakfast - pancakes
Lunch -      vegetable soup
Dinner -     chicken ceaser salad
Dessert -    none

Wednesday:
Breakfast - Toast and yoghurt
Lunch -       everybody out
Dinner -      sausages on the bbq, chips and salad
Dessert -     fruit salad

Thursday:
Breakfast - cereal and fruit
Lunch -      vegetable soup
Dinner -     steak on the bbq, potato salad, carrot salad, tomato salsa
Dessert -   none

Friday:
Breakfast - banana bread
Lunch -      cheesy jaffle
Dinner -     morroccan drumsticks with tumeric and almond rice and middle eastern vegetables
Dessert -    watermelon

Saturday:
Breakfast - banana bread
Lunch -      sushi
Dinner -     lamb korma, saffron rice, dhal and pappadums
Dessert -   yoghurt

Sunday:
Breakfast - croissants
Lunch -       hot dogs
Dinner -      roast pork and vegetables
Dessert -    none


I have started growing my own herbs and if I can keep the possums from eating them I should be able to start harvesting in a few weeks.  I love fresh herbs in cooking - chives in scrambled eggs, mint in greek yoghurt, sage with pork - ooooh my mouth is watering!!

Eat well, Live well!
Cheers
Susie

Menu - Week 13/2/12

Better late than never I say!!

Monday:
Breakfast - Toast and fruit
Lunch -       Sandwiches
Dinner -      Soy/sweet chilli pork balls and rice
Dessert -     Fruit

Tuesday:
Breakfast -  Toast and yoghurt
Lunch -        Everybody out
Dinner -       Home made burgers
Dessert -      Icecream

Wednesday:
Breakfast -   Toast and fruit
Lunch -         Left over vietnamese noodles
Dinner -        Pasta with bacon and peas
Dessert -       none

Thursday:
Breakfast -    Boiled eggs and toast soldiers
Lunch -         Tuna salad sandwich
Dinner -         Cheesy scrambled eggs
Dessert -       none

Friday ;
Breakfast -   Cereal and fruit
Lunch -         everybody out
Dinner -        Honey/soy chicken wings and rice
Dessert -       chocolate

Saturday:
Breakfast -    Blueberry muffins
Lunch -         Garlic bread
Dinner -        Turkish lamb pizzas
Dessert -       fruit yoghurt

Sunday :
Breakfast -    cereal and fruit
Lunch -         leftovers
Dinner -        Chicken schnitzel, chips and salad
Dessert -      none


Eat well, Live well!
Cheers
Susie

Sunday, February 5, 2012

Menu - Week 6/2/12

I am on time with this weeks menu!!! Sky don't fall in ......please.

Monday:
Breakfast- rockmelon and yoghurt
Lunch - pork rolls and fruit salad
Dinner - roast lamb and vegetables
Dessert - icecream

Tuesday:
Breakfast- cereal and toast
Lunch - lamb salad
Dinner- chicken schnitzel and steam vegetables
Dessert - mango yoghurt

Wednesday:
Breakfast - french toast
Lunch - everybody out
Dinner - spaghetti bolognese and salad
Dessert - poached peaches

Thursday:
Breakfast - cereal and fruit
Lunch - cheese sandwiches
Dinner - Homemade burgers
Dessert - pineapple

Friday:
Breakfast - cereal and fruit
Lunch - everybody out
Dinner - honey soy and sweet chilli chicken wings with rice
Dessert - icecreams from the shop (special treat!)

Saturday:
Everybody out til dinner
Dinner - home made pizzas
Dessert - yoghurt and fruit

Sunday:
Breakfast - croissants
Lunch - jaffles
Dinner - roast pork and vegetables
Dessert - fruit pastries (homemade)

Hope you all have a good week and your kids eat their veges!  Now mine are teenagers they eat practically anything but the younger years were a bit boring as far as what veges they would eat.  Carrots have remained a firm favourite as has broccoli.

Eat well, Live well!
Cheers
Susie

Menu: Week - 31/1/12

Sorry this is a week late - Back to School loomed large last week and everything got pushed to the backburner!

Monday:
Breakfast - cereal and fruit
Lunch - rolls
Dinner - teriyaki chicken wings and rice
Dessert - chocolates

Tuesday:
Breakfast - cereal and toast
Lunch - everybody out
Dinner - chicken and vegetable stirfry
Dessert - mango yoghurt

Wednesday:
Breakfast - Toast
Lunch - salad
Dinner - turkish lamb pizzas with lemon and yoghurt
Dessert - fruit salad

Thursday:
Breakfast - rolls
Lunch - sandwiches
Dinner - butter chicken and tumeric rice with pappadums
Dessert - watermelon

Friday:
Breakfast - cereal and fruit
Lunch - everybody out
Dinner - steak chips and salad
Dessert - pot luck

Saturday:
Everybody out all day
Dinner - prawns in tomato and wine sauce with feta and olives
Dessert - italian nougat

Sunday :
Breakfast - Croissants
Lunch - everybody out
Dinner - hotdogs and salad
Dessert - rockmelon

Eat well, Live well!
Cheers
Susie

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Week 23/1/12 - Menu

Sorry so late in posting this.  Have had a not so good start to the week with illness so everything has gone to hell in a hand basket!  Starting to get back on track today.

Monday :
Breakfast - Toast and spreads.
Lunch - everybody out
Dinner - sausage sandwiches
Dessert - fruit

Tuesday:
Breakfast - toast and spreads
Lunch - everybody out
Dinner - chicken and vegetable honey/soy stirfry with rice
Dessert - Christmas chocolates (yes we still have them !!!)

Wednesday:
Breakfast - toast and spreads
Lunch - home made burgers
Dinner - Spaghetti bolognese
Dessert - Christmas chocolates

Thursday:
Breakfast - toast and spreads
Lunch - bacon toasties or savoury mince jaffles
Dinner - steak and vegetables
Dessert - fruit

Friday:
Breakfast - toast and spreads
Lunch - sandwiches
Dinner - lamb kebabs with rice and carrot salad
Dessert - yoghurt

Saturday:
Everybody out for whole day and evening

Sunday:
Breakfast - croissants and fruit
Lunch - hot dogs
Dinner - roast chicken and vegetables
Dessert - apple pie

Bit boring this week as I definitely have not felt inspired because of not being well.  Hopefully next week is better!  My daughter goes back to school next week so it's back to the routine of packed lunches.  My son starts uni in a month but will be working in the meantime so he takes salads to work.  I guess that will continue with uni.  Our fruit and veg box deliveries re-commence next week too and I always find them inspiring with the mystery of what we will get each week determining the menu.

Eat well, Live well!
Cheers
Susie

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Week 16/1/12 - Menu

We are having a dessert free week this week to counteract the overindulgence in Christmas chocolate!!  This probably won't go down too well with my youngest but "them's the breaks"!

Monday
Breakfast: toast and jam or boiled eggs and toast soldiers
Lunch     : sandwiches and fruit
Dinner    : Morrrocan chicken, rice, veg

Tuesday
Breakfast: cereal and toast
Lunch     : toasties
Dinner    : Sausages, chips and salad

Wednesday
Breakfast: Toast and yoghurt
Lunch     : salad and fruit salad
Dinner    : Honey/soy chicken wings and stirfry

Thursday
Breakfast : cereal and fruit
Lunch      : sandwiches
Dinner     : home-made pizza and salad

Friday
Breakfast: Muffins
Lunch     : sandwiches and fruit
Dinner    :Lamb kebabs and salad

Saturday
Breakfast: Banana bread
Lunch     : Hot dogs and fruit
Dinner    : Home-made hamburgers

Sunday
Breakfast: Croissants and fruit
Lunch     : Pasta in a creamy/cheesy sauce
Dinner    : Roast lamb and veg

Sandwich filling options are: cheese, left-over meats from roasts, cold cuts, salad, vegemite or peanut butter.  I sometimes have baked beans but the children don't like them for themselves.

Eat well, Live well!
Cheers
Susie

Friday, January 13, 2012

The week that was

Well this week was a bit wonky as the children ended up out for dinner on Thursday night and my son was working on Friday night so the dinners got shifted back a day or so.  Other than that came in on budget and no wastage!  Leftovers got eaten for lunch and Friday night's leftovers are tonight's dinner at work for Stirling.  The coming week will be a bit strange as it will only be the two of us for most of the week so there will be some creative leftover use as the meat portions I buy are for three.  Where I can I divide into individual portions and freeze but some things (mince for example) that is just not possible.  Will work on next week's menu tomorrow and post Sunday night.  Hope you are managing to eat well and live well.

Eat well, Live well!
Cheers
Susie

Monday, January 9, 2012

week 9/1/12 - Menu

Here is this week's menu - a day late I am sorry - but I was ill.


Monday

Breakfast - cereal
Lunch - sandwiches
Dinner - bacon and egg toasties
Dessert - handmade chocolates (made by Claudia)

Tuesday

Breakfast - toast
Lunch - chicken salad
Dinner - Homemade hamburgers
Dessert - rockmelon

Wednesday

Breakfast - cereal
Lunch - sandwiches
Dinner - BBQ - steak and salad
Dessert - muffins

Thursday

Breakfast - yoghurt and fruit
Lunch - salad with salami
Dinner - BBQ - peri peri chicken steaks and salad
Dessert - icecream

Friday 

Breakfast - pancakes
Lunch - salad
Dinner - sausages chips veg
Dessert - choc chip cookies

Saturday

Breakfast - cereal
Lunch - hot dogs
Dinner - butter chicken rice pappadums
Dessert - fruit salad

Sunday

Breakfast - croissants
Lunch - sandwiches
Dinner - BBQ - chops and salad and garlic bread
Dessert - watermelon

Hope you have a good week.

Eat well, Live well!
Cheers
Susie

Friday, January 6, 2012

Next week's shopping

I have done the shop for next week's meals and spent $90 all up.  That also included about $10 of toiletries and sundries.  Let's see how the week goes!! Will finalise the week's menu tomorrow and post Monday.  Hope you all enjoy your weekend.

Eat well, Live well!
Cheers
Susie

Thursday, January 5, 2012

The week in progress

Well so far we are sticking to our meal plan except for desserts - still finishing off the Christmas chocolates!!  We got so many of them and the ones we took to other people's places to try and decrease our quantity all ended up coming home with us because they all had too many as well.  Reminder to self for next Christmas  - DO NOT GIVE CHOCOLATE.  On Spaghetti night made enough sauce to freeze two more serves so that's some cooking time saved for the future.

Also sorry for the disarray of the main post of menu.  On the compose page it all looked great but on the blog it all went wonky.  Will try a different format next week - hopefully with more success!

Eat well, Live well!
Cheers
Susie

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

I'm Back!!

Sorry for the disappearing act but I ran out of puff.  My son though wants me back on track and to that end bought me a meal planner for Christmas!!  It will help with shopping and budgeting so I am happy.

Here is our first week's menu for 2012:

                     Breakfast                           Lunch                       Dinner                    Dessert

Monday -   Cereal/toast                       Salad or sandwich        Butter chicken            Christmas m&ms
                                                                                                 Tumeric rice
                                                                                                 Pappadums

Tuesday -    Cooked breakfast                      "                          Spaghetti bolognese     Icecream

Wednesday -fruit and yoghurt                       "                           BBQ : steak                 Mangoes
                                                                                                           potato salad
                                                                                                           green salad

Thursday -   cereal/toast                               "                            Pasta bake                 Christmas pudding
                                                                                                   salad

Friday -        cooked breakfast                     "                             Honey/soy chicken wings  Handmade
                                                                                                   rice                                    chocolates
                                                                                                   stir fry vegetables

Saturday -     cereal/toast                             "                              home made pizzas         fruit salad

Sunday -        croissants and fruit                 left overs                   roast chicken and          apple pie and
                                                                                                    vegetables                     icecream



Most of these meals are for three people and come in under $10 for the meal.  I make most things from scratch to keep costs down.

Eat well, Live well
Cheers
Susie