More about me: 18 Things for 2018

If you’re a keen reader of parenting blogs, you may have seen lots of bloggers writing 18 things for 2018 blog posts. It’s taken me this long to jump on the bandwagon, so please indulge me on this one.

I was tagged by Cassie from Lily’s Little Learners to come up with 18 things for 2018 and I’m tagging Karen from That Lancashire Lass and Liz from Expression and Confession. I wonder what their goals and plans are for 2018?

The 18 things for 2018 thing is a goal setting / wish list kind of thing. I’m not really a goal setter, nor am I much of a creator of wish lists, but here are 18 things I’d like to do/see/achieve/eat/drink/remember forever from this coming year.

18 things for 2018

One.
Let’s start off with my blog shall we? I hereby promise to try to write more interesting content. In 2018 I hope you will read and enjoy more recipes, more craft blog posts, more travel, more interesting days out and more things to do kind of blog posts.

There will be a few reviews, some sponsored posts (they keep the bank happy) and hopefully some surprises for you and for me along the way. But definitely more food and more crafts, because I like writing about them and if this blog isn’t at least keeping me happy, then it’s no use nor ornament to anyone else.

Two.
Spend more time with Ben. He’s 7 now, he’s still happy to hang out with me, so this year I’m going to squeeze every drop of enjoyment out of spending time with him. We have a few Mother and Son trips booked and plans to bake, craft and build lots of LEGO together. He’s ace and full of love for life, who wouldn’t want to hang out with that?

Three.
Walk the dog more. We got the dog to keep me company and encourage me out of my office and down by the river throwing balls. But she grew and grew and grew much bigger and stronger than she was meant to and I struggled to walk this big strong dog. But I love being out with her, she doesn’t so much run, but she bounces and prances along and she has me in stitches. This year I plan to walk her more often, weather and my pain levels permitting.

Four.
This year my work/life balance needs to be significantly improved. I want to take an afternoon off a week and do something nice with a friend. I want to not be hunched over the laptop or glued to my iPad working all the time. It can be miserable and I don’t want to be miserable. I want to drink coffee with another adult and laugh about something, anything.

Five.
I want to lose a bit of weight. I say this every year but no significant progress is made. Each year I maybe drop a couple of pounds and keep them off across the year, which is the right kind of direction, but not a big enough change for my liking. I’ll never be skinny, but if I could be a bit more comfortable in my skin that would suit me.

Six.
Following on from five, I’d like to start doing some regular exercise again. I’m not sure what, swimming or Pilates would be my preference, but we shall see.

Seven.
I’d like to be healthier this year. 2017 was a pretty poorly year for me. I spent most of it snuffling into tissues, battling chest infections and sore throats. It was mostly the kind of low-level stuff which makes you miserable but isn’t bad enough to warrant taking to your bed for a few days. Let coughs, colds and nasty bugs be gone, more health and vitality please!

Eight.
One thing I’m very keen on looking at is how we can reduce our plastic usage in the home. We’ve always been keen recyclers, but our local council are very limited on the kinds of plastic they can recycle and honestly I’d rather use less of the stuff across the board to begin with. This is going to take some thought and planning, so leave it with me and lets see how I do.

Nine.
This year I want to be a better friend. Last year I was under the weather and antisocial. I was also grieving hard about my Dad. The only way I could deal with all of that was to hide myself away. My social life really suffered and I said no or made excuses for so many things. This year I want to say yes a bit more and be there for my friends.

Ten.
In 2016 we had our first foreign holiday as a family. We went to Majorca for a week and we had a lovely, lovely holiday. Although we have a few UK breaks lined up, I’d like to jet off somewhere warm with the boys for a week. I’m not sure when or where, but I think we deserve a sunshine break this year.

20 questions Sol Katmandu Hotel, Majorca with Jet2Holidays

Eleven.
This year I’d like to properly get the hang of Pinterest. I love it, I’d spend an hour a day looking at pretty things on there if I could, but I want to figure out how I can use it to properly promote my blog.

Twelve.
Be tidier and more organised. I’m fed up of working in a slightly chaotic office space, with boxes and press releases everywhere and a stack of filing waiting for me. I want to be on it and organised this year. Or I need a PA to do it for me. CV’s to the usual address please, can pay in biscuits.

Thirteen.
I’d like to learn a new craft this year. I’m especially interested in something like screen printing, lino print, string art or something like that. I’d like to do a bit more sewing (current sewing level: sewing buttons back on cardigans) and maybe learn how to use a sewing machine, even at a basic level. I have three machines in the house, so some idea of how to use them might be helpful!

Fourteen.
Ah photography. I keep flirting with it and then running away scared. I’ve got a bit of an idea about what I’m doing, but not enough for me to effectively put it into practice. I need to bite the bullet and just do it properly.

Fifteen.
It might be nice to spend some time with my husband. We never go on date nights or spend much time together as a couple. Two self employed people with a child and a dog is a recipe for being too busy. It’s time he took me out for a slap up meal dammit!

Sixteen.
Read more. I used to read and read and read. These days I’ve more or less stopped reading. It’s purely down to time really, but if I’m on holiday or on a break, I’d like to try and read a book or two this year. How hard can that be?

Seventeen.
Declutter. Like my office, my house has a tendency to fill with clutter. It’s time to put a stop to that and it’s time to have a sort out, a chuck out and a good clear down. Will 2018 be the year I stop shouting about all the stuff dumped on the stairs? (I doubt it).

Eighteen.
Stop. I’d like to just stop working so hard and running around like a mad thing trying to keep on top of life and just enjoy it a bit more. Enjoy the people I love and spend time with them doing things which will make memories. I’d like to stop, just for a bit each day or week and just be. That would be nice.

How do you think I’ll get on with my 18 things for 2018? I have high hopes for some and more realistic (low) expectations for others. We’ll see…

Review: CBeebies Play Time DVD

At home, our TV channel of choice is CBeebies. It’s packed with all of his favourites and he loves to wind down after a hard day at school with a snack. We were sent the CBeebies Play Time DVD to watch and the small boy didn’t take long to decide that it was already one of his favourites.

The 2 hour long CBeebies Play Time DVD from Abbey Home Media features all of his CBeebies favourites and for over 2 hours of fun-filled entertainment. With 12 episodes in the collection; including Teletubbies;Twirlywoos; In The Night Garden; Peter Rabbit; Topsy & Tim; Mike the Knight; The Furchester Hotel; Octonauts; Q Pootle 5; Ruff–Ruff; Tweet and Dave; Chuggington and Cloudbabies.

CBeebies Play Time DVD

The CBeebies Play Time DVD is a great way of entertaining young children with its familiar, well-loved characters and diverse range of fun and engaging shows.

Although we didn’t sit down and watch the whole DVD in one sitting, he did enjoy the variety of programmes on this DVD. He even liked watching the shows more suited to younger children. I think maybe he’s watching them from a slightly different perspective and getting something new out of them.

Naturally he had some favourites –

Peter Rabbit – The One That Got Away. When Peter and his friends encounter the legendary “Jack Sharp”, a large trout that even Peter’s father failed to catch; they try to reel the fish in once and for all. But catching a fish is a lot harder than it looks.

Topsy and Tim – In New Pet Topsy and Tim love caring for their new pet rabbit but struggle to agree on his name. When they notice how wiggly his nose is, they know just what to call him.

Mike the Knight – In Hidden Garden Games. When Mike, Evie and the Queen have a competition in the Hidden Garden, Mike learns that it’s good to let everyone have a turn to play. But it’s even better when everyone plays together.

Octonauts – In Mimic Octopus Peso is gathering red algae to cure the sick vegimals but needs the help of a Mimic Octopus to scare off a Moray eel. The eel uses its striped tentacles to pretend to be a group of poisonous sea snakes.

Chuggington – In Koko’s Puppy Training Koko Koko finds a lost puppy and wants to keep it. Koko soon realises a little girl is looking for the puppy and decides that she needs to take him home.

The CBeebies Play Time DVD is another great collection of CBeebies classics and ideal for keeping the little ones entertained this summer!

Order your copy of the CBeebies Play Time DVD today!

CBeebies Play Time DVD

Recipe: Crumbly Cranachan Shortbread with Whisky

Cranachan is a traditional Scottish pudding, usually made with whipped cream, whisky, honey and fresh raspberries, with toasted oatmeal soaked overnight in a little bit of whisky. Whilst my Cranachan Shortbread recipe isn’t faithful to the original, it is considerably inspired by this Caledonian classic.

This Cranachan Shortbread recipe is a beautifully short and crumbly whisky shortbread, dipped in chocolate and sprinkled with dried, crushed raspberries. It’s a biscuit and a half and a real Scottish inspired treat.

Recipe: Crumbly Cranachan Shortbread with Whisky

Dried raspberries are available, but hard to find. Unsuccessful, I ended up drying my own in a very low oven for many, many hours. I then crushed them in a pestle and mortar. I was pleasantly surprised with how they turned out, they didn’t smell especially powerful, but they certainly packed a flavour punch. They’d be great sprinkled on all kinds of cakes and desserts.

Cranachan Shortbread with whisky

Ingredients:
225g butter
130g caster sugar
350g plain flour
3 tablespoons of whisky
Caster sugar for sprinkling
100g milk chocolate
1 punnet of raspberries, dried

Recipe: Crumbly Cranachan Shortbread with Whisky

Method:
Pre-heat your oven to 180. You’ll need to have a couple of baking trays covered with greaseproof paper ready.

In a mixing bowl, thoroughly beat the butter and sugar together. Once fluffy, add the whisky and little by little add the plain flour. Mix with a wooden spoon as best you can. Try not to overwork it too much or the dough will go gluey.

I find the following method tidier and it stops you manhandling the dough too much. Once the shortbread dough is almost mixed, tip it out onto a large sheet of greaseproof paper; bring the dough together with your hands and then fold the paper in half with the mixture sandwiched in between.

With a rolling-pin, roll it out so it’s about 5mm thick and cut into rounds. I used a glass for this and carefully lifted each shortbread biscuit onto the baking tray. You should get around 18 shortbread biscuits out of the dough. Sprinkle a pinch of sugar over each round.

Bake in the pre-heated oven for 12-15 minutes. Keep an eye on the shortbread, they still need to be pale and not brown. Once they’re baked, remove from the oven and leave to cool on a rack.

Whilst the shortbread biscuits are cooling, melt the chocolate over a bain marie. Once melted, dip each shortbread into the chocolate and half coat it, put your biscuit back on the greaseproof paper and sprinkle the dried raspberries. Try to resist eating your shortbread until the chocolate has set.

Enjoy with a cup of tea or a wee dram if you’re so inclined! Sláinte!

If you’ve enjoyed this recipe, you might also like this Haggis, potato cake & poached egg stack or these delicious haggis pasties.

Recipe: Crumbly Cranachan Shortbread with Whisky

Crafts: Make your own Scottish Thistle Brooch

Celebrate your Scottish heritage (or admiration for the highlands) with this lovely Scottish Thistle brooch. It’s pretty simple to make and it took me around an hour to sew together and finish off. The thistle is one of the most enduring emblems of Scotland and this brooch is the perfect thing to wear on Burns Night, Hogmanay or St Andrew’s Day.

Crafts: Make your own Scottish Thistle Brooch

I confess that the idea for this craft came when I was scrolling through Pinterest and I came across something similar. The version I spotted looked quite basic and something for children to make, you can see that version here. I took the original idea and turned it into a brooch an adult would want to wear on a jacket or coat. I’m really pleased with how my Scottish Thistle brooch has turned out and it is now on my winter coat ready for showing off later.

Make your own Scottish Thistle Brooch

You will need:
Green felt
Large green button
Green and purple embroidery thread
Brooch back or a safety pin

Instructions:
With a pen or pencil, sketch a thistle shape on your felt (take a look at the sketch below as a guide) making sure there’s enough space for the button with some room around it. Carefully cut out the thistle shape. Pin the thistle to the felt and use it as a stencil to cut out a second thistle shape. Pin them together. Crafts: Make your own Scottish Thistle Brooch

Crafts: Make your own Scottish Thistle Brooch

Using the green embroidery thread, stitch the two felt thistles together. I’ve sewn them so the stitching is a little feature around the edges of the felt. Once you’ve sewn the thistles together, take your purple embroidery thread and in long stitches sew the purple prickles on the top.

Crafts: Make your own Scottish Thistle Brooch

Take your green button and sew it in place with the purple embroidery thread. Finish off the detail on the thistle with some green stitches across the thistle leaves. To complete your brooch, sew on the brooch back or safety pin on the back of your thistle. I stitched my safety pin behind the button.

Your Scottish Thistle brooch is now complete and ready to wear with pride!

Crafts: Make your own Scottish Thistle Brooch

Children’s Books: Five Children’s Poetry Books

Reading together is a big part of our evening routine. As a parent, the books I’ve most enjoyed reading to my son are ones that have been written with a rhyming structure like the Hairy Maclary books by Lynley Dodd or any of Julia Donaldson’s books. I’ve always felt that these kind of children’s poetry books were a wonderful gateway into the world of poetry.

I’ve picked out five children’s poetry books which I either read a lot with my son, or I’m looking forward to reading with him when the times comes. I hope you enjoy my choices.

Each Peach Pear Plum by Janet and Allan Ahlberg. This has been a childhood classic for as long as I can remember. First published in 1978 this classic is full of rhyming couplets featuring almost every fairy tale character you can think of. The illustrations are a joy too, even though my son is getting a bit old for this book now, I still like to flick through it and savour the simple joy of it.

Kicking a Ball by Allan Ahlberg. This is a book my son likes to read out loud to us, it’s full of action and action words and is the perfect poetry-story book for football fans.

Children's Books: Five Children's Poetry Books

Dirty Beasts by Roald Dahl. No poetry round-up is complete without a Roald Dahl book. Dirty Beasts is a collection of poems about the foulest, most grotesque creatures in Roald Dahl’s imagination. This was my copy from when I was a child and I’ve passed it down to my son who loves the disgusting rhymes and terrifying tales in Dirty Beasts. This is a treat for adults and children alike!

I’m a Little Alien by James Carter. This poetry book for 3-8 year olds covers all forms of life, from aliens, sharks, robots, snowflakes, moles and elephants. Each poem is full of joy and it’s perfect for dipping in and out of with your little ones. We are big fans!

Poems to Perform, chosen by Julia Donaldson. This wonderful poetry collection has been chosen by Children’s Laureate Julia Donaldson, it’s ideal for children’s groups and school classes to learn and perform, but equally it’s a wonderful collection of poetry to have at home. Something you can dip in and out of. It’s a collection for slightly older children, my son is 7 and he’s only just starting to read and enjoy the poems from this book.

Reading and writing poetry at home is a great way to encourage a love of the written word. Poetry doesn’t have to be hard work or hard to understand. It can be the start of a wonderful adventure with the written and spoken word.

What’s your favourite children’s poetry book?

Children's Books: Five Children's Poetry Books

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New Year, New Look for my husband from Jacamo

2017 saw some changes for my husband. He picked up an arm injury and had to give up the gym and his beloved kettlebells and so instead, he took up running and has started to become competitive with himself. He’s signed up to do a few 10k races, and knowing him, he will be doing half marathons before we know it. A change in his physical activity levels means he’s feeling good about himself again, and that alone deserves a new outfit. We took a look at what men’s fashion experts Jacamo had to offer.

New Year, New Look for my husband from Jacamo

Before we became parents he was a dedicated follower of fashion. He had a thing for Ben Sherman shirts and good blue jeans, a look he was keen to revisit. He chose this short sleeved check shirt from Ben Sherman. It’s made from navy and green checked cotton with a buttoned down collar. It cost £50 which is about average for a Ben Sherman shirt and I think it’s reignited his love for the brand (which will make buying birthday presents easier this year).

As it’s winter, he needs a nice warm jumper to keep him cosy. I picked out this twist texture knit by Label J (£20.35) in charcoal. It’s a great addition to his wardrobe and can be dressed up or down. It looks good over his new shirt and is great with jeans. It’s really comfortable and I’m slightly regretting only getting one jumper now. He will wear this to death over winter.

New Year, New Look for my husband from Jacamo

No new outfit is complete without a new pair of jeans. I do love him in dark jeans, I think they look so much smarter. These Delta tapered jeans from Union Blues have a little bit of stretch in them, making them a little bit more forgiving than jeans usually are. The jeans also come with a leather belt, a really good range of sizes (and half sizes) and are just £25 a pair. He’s pleased as punch with them and they look brilliant with his nice Jacamo boots.

New Year, New Look for my husband from Jacamo

It’s so nice to see him in new clothes and feeling good about what he’s wearing. The range of sizes which Jacamo stock, means that he can find jeans which actually fit him well without having to spend a fortune. He’s delighted with his new outfit for the New Year. What do you think?

New Year, New Look for my husband from Jacamo

Check out the new season of men’s fashion on the Jacamo website.

Note: I was sent these items from Jacamo for review purposes. All images and opinions are my own.

Merlin Annual Pass launches its BIG January sale

For the last two years we have been proud owners of a Merlin Annual Pass. So whenever the mood takes us we can jump in the car for the day and head out for some family fun. We’re not alone in this; research by Merlin Annual Pass suggests that many families have made a New Year resolution to spend time making memories together.

The great news is, for those families who want to spend some thrill-seeking time together, the Merlin Annual Pass sale is now on! A Merlin Annual Pass opens the door to 32 magical worlds across the UK. Wherever you live, you’re guaranteed to have the ultimate passport to fun! You’ve got until midnight on 12th February to pick up a Merlin Annual Pass, giving you 52 weeks of family fun. Passes are priced from just £109 per person in the spectacular New Year sale!

Merlin Annual Pass launches its BIG January sale

2018 looks set to be a bumper year for Merlin as they welcome some exciting new additions. Alton Towers will launch its brand new wooden roller coaster experience. The first wooden roller coaster to be built in the UK for more than 20 years will be revealed this spring; with a globally unique twist and a fantastic theme, which will make Alton Towers a must visit attraction in 2018.

Family favourite, Chessington World of Adventures Resort, will be opening its new, multi-million pound Land of the Tiger. This features an innovative enclosure and Europe’s first overhead big cat trails; all set to welcome a family of four endangered Amur Tigers this spring. As the foursome roam with a cat’s-eye view of the Land, guests will be able to wander underneath the tigers, before making a splash at Tiger Rock – the exhilarating log flume.

Merlin Annual Pass launches its BIG January sale

Birmingham LEGOLAND Discovery Centre opens its doors this summer. Featuring a 4D cinema, Kingdom Quest laser ride and Merlin’s Apprentice; plus the chance to see all of Birmingham’s top attractions made from LEGO in their MINILAND display. Keen LEGO builders can learn building tips from their Master Model Builder Workshops – sounds fantastic!

The BIG New Year Sale in now on and ends at midnight on 12^thFebruary. So don’t delay, grab your Merlin Annual Pass and start your 12 months of fun today!

For more information please visit www.merlinannualpass.co.uk.

I’m a Merlin Annual Pass Blogger Ambassador. I was not paid to write this post.

Merlin Annual Pass

Meal Planning Monday: New Year, New Menu?

Christmas Day 2017 was a really lovely day. We all got nice presents and we all had a really good Christmas dinner. I’d cooked enough so there would be leftovers aplenty for the next few lazy days and I was feeling quite content with myself. Then I got flu and spent the next 10 days in bed. I’m still a bit wobbly and woozy; but worse still, my fridge is festering with the Christmas leftovers we didn’t get to eat. My job later this morning is to clear out the fridge and prepare it to be filled with normal food once again.

Tomorrow morning our first food shop of the year will be delivered and I can’t wait. I feel like I’ve had too long away from the kitchen and I’m ready to start cooking nice things for my family again. Admittedly I’m still not feeling 100%, so what I do cook will hopefully be a balance between really quick and easy and something tasty but full of good healthy stuff to build us all up again.

Here’s what is on our menu this week…

Meal Planning Monday: New Year, New Menu?

I’m so excited about getting back in the kitchen, I dread to think what the boys have been feeding themselves on while I’ve been in my sick-bed.

I’m a big fan of meal planning, having a menu can save me so much time and money. There’s something really comforting about knowing what our evening meals will be for the week and that I’ve done all the shopping I need to do to prepare those meals. If I’m thinking ahead I’ll try to make extra to eat another day, or for lunch the next day or maybe even freeze for a rainy day in the future.

One thing I have done which has really helped me is to create a list of 55 family meals my family will always eat. If you’re meal planning and you need some inspiration, it’s definitely worth having a look through my list. Each time I sit down to meal plan my list is always close to hand.

What’s on your menu this week?

Sunshine Recipes: Traditional Greek Salad & Tzatziki

Last month I shared my recipe for Cretan Style Lamb Burger with Feta, it’s a really tasty and easy burger recipe for the summer months, and perfect for new season spring lamb. Alongside my lamb burger (and many, many other recipes) I often serve a traditional Greek Salad and a side of Tzatziki.

I tend to cook a lot of Mediterranean style food, it’s delicious, fairly healthy and my husband is half Armenian, so it’s good to recreate some of his favourites too. Greek salad is so easy to throw together and it’s one of our favourite salads, plus it tends to keep quite well – no wilted leftovers the next day!

Sunshine Recipes: Traditional Greek Salad & Tzatziki

These recipes are family favourites, created from memory every time. I’ve long since forgotten where the recipes originally game from but I know I’ve changed them slightly over time to match our taste buds.

Greek Salad Recipe

Ingredients (serves 4 as a side)
12 cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 small red onion, finely sliced
1/2 cucumber, halved and finely sliced
12 black olives, pitted
200g feta cheese, cubed
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt & pepper

Method:
The best thing you can do for this salad is find the ripest tomatoes. I have used cherry tomatoes, but if the ripest are something else, use the best tomatoes you can find.

Quarter your tomatoes, slice your cucumber and onion and cube your feta, put all of your ingredients into a serving dish, add the red wine vinegar, olive oil and seasoning and toss together before serving.

Taste and add more seasoning, herbs or vinegar if you feel it needs it.

Sunshine Recipes: Traditional Greek Salad & Tzatziki

Tzatziki Recipe

Ingredients:
250g Greek yoghurt (I use fat free)
1/2 cucumber, grated
1 clove of garlic, finely grated
1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tablespoon of red wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon of sugar
Salt & pepper

Method:
Traditionally the skin and the seeds of the cucumber are removed for tzatziki, but I like the texture of it so I keep it in.

Grate your cucumber onto a clean tea-towel and sprinkle with some salt, leave it for ten minutes and then squeeze the excess water out.

Tip your cucumber into a bowl with your finely grated garlic, Greek yoghurt, olive oil and red wine vinegar and mix thoroughly. Taste the tzatziki and then add sugar, salt and pepper to taste.

It’s not usual to add sugar to tzatziki, but I think a little pinch gives it a slightly nicer flavour, but leave it out if you prefer.

Any leftovers of this Greek salad make a great lunch with some toasted pizza bread.

Sunshine Recipes: Traditional Greek Salad & Tzatziki

55 ideas for family meals your kids will actually eat

If you’re looking to save money and eat well for less, the key really is meal planning. Sitting down each week, planning a menu of tasty family meals and only buying what you need can save your family an awful lot of time and money. I try where I can to meal plan, setting out a fortnightly menu and then doing a big online shop for everything I need. This saves me so much time and money, plus knowing what I’m cooking on whichever night takes the thinking out of it.

It’s easy for me to say the meal planning is the key to success, but I can guarantee that when I sit down with my blank piece of paper to plan out the next 14 family meals, I cannot think of one single family meal. Over the last few months I’ve been putting together a list of the meals I’ve made, so when meal planning day arrives I just have a quick look through my list for inspiration and then get down to work.

Family meals: Rich and Creamy Fennel & Potato Gratin

If you’re stuck for ideas for family meals your family will actually eat, below you will find a list of 55 family meals that we cook on a fairly regular basis, where there is a recipe for that dish on my blog I have included a link to it.

55 ideas for family meals your family will actually eat

Baked butternut squash
Baked fish and vegetables
Battered or breaded fish and chips
Beef or mushroom stroganoff
Beef stew
Burgers
Cauliflower cheese
Chicken casserole served with potato gratin
Chicken Kievs
Chilli con carne
Cottage pie
Curry and rice
Dahl
Egg and chips
Fajitas
Fish pie
Fish wraps
Fishcakes
Fishfingers chips and beans
Full English
Galette (a bit like a pie)
Gnocchi
Homemade Chicken nuggets or goujons
Homemade soup
Hot dogs or these pizza hot dogs
Imam Bayildi (Baked aubergines)
Jacket potatoes
Jacket sweet potatoes with sour cream and spring onions
Jamie Oliver’s Butternut Squash Penne Pasta
Lancashire Hotpot
Lasagne
Lentil cottage pie
Macaroni cheese
Macaroni peas
Omelette
Pasta bake
Pesto pasta
Pie and mash
Pizza – shop bought or homemade
Quiche
Risotto
Roast dinner
Sausages and mash
Sausage casserole
Sausage ragu
Shepherds pie
Spaghetti and meatballs
Spaghetti Bolognese
Spanish style sausages in bravas sauce
Spinach and ricotta cannelloni
Stir fry
Sweet and sour pork or chicken
Thai style curry
Toad in the Hole
Tuna and Sweetcorn Pasta Bake

55 family meal suggestions – that’s not a bad place to start from is it? I hope you’ve found some inspiration. I’ll be adding to this list as time goes on, so expect it to grow and grow.

What are your favourite family meals? Have I missed anything essential off my list?

55 ideas for family meals your family will actually eat