Someone recently told me that with this half term, Ioan is half way through his first year at primary school, which is a bit shocking … especially for half of that time he has been ‘taught’ (in the loosest sense of the word) by us at home. It’s also shocking to realise that Ioan has […]
Eating in
Week 6 2021 meal plan – a freezer dive
So, it turns out that I need to plan my week’s menu before I order my shopping and get it delivered, otherwise I end up in a situation like now where I have to do a few days of freezer dives to get dinner sorted. I don’t know if freezer dive is a real expression, […]
Week 5 2021 meal plan – a bump in the night
Headbutting a door … a bump in the night Our week started with an anniversary meal on Monday, followed by the usual monotony of lockdown, and ended with (quite literally) a bump in the night. Specifically Ioan’s forehead bumping into the side of his bedroom door at midnight (apparently he was trying to get to […]
Week 4 2021 meal plan – an Indian banquet with Kanishka (review)
I know it’s hard to believe as I look so incredibly youthful (joke), but Andrew and I have now been going out for 25 years. The anniversary is today (25 January, also Welsh Valentine’s Day, coincidentally), and I do have a very special anniversary meal I will be cooking tonight (I’ll tell you about it […]
Week 3 2021 meal plan – read the recipe properly
Whole lamb shoulder, not diced lamb shoulder My grand plans for a lovely lamb hotpot on a cold wintry day (a Cookbook Challenge from The Pie Room by Calum Franklin) were foiled by the fact I didn’t read the recipe properly, and didn’t buy the correct ingredients. I read 2kg lamb shoulder, immediately decided to […]
Week 2 2021 meal plan – and home school horrors
Working from home with a four year old Well it was never going to be easy, was it? But I won’t complain (too much) as the companies we work for are being very understanding, allowing us the flexibility to work and look after Ioan, and that’s not the case for everyone. Ioan is thoroughly enjoying […]
Happy New Year – 2020 in photos
Wishing you all a happy and healthy 2021 2020, wow, where to start? When I look back to the beginning, I suppose it was with the usual optimism of New Year, and good intentions. But 2020 turned into a crazy year which I am sure many of us would prefer to forget. As always (and […]
Autumnal eating
There is no denying that this Autumn is a strange one. Like many others, I have been working from home for the last six months, a milestone which I am reminded of through mundanities such as switching on the heating (“last time I did that was before we went into lockdown”). Frankly it’s feeling like […]
Three ingredient easy cheesy pasta for kids – new recipe
I say this three ingredient easy cheesy pasta is for kids, but it’s very tasty so perfectly suitable for adults too. The pasta has a rich cheese sauce made directly in the saucepan you have cooked your pasta in, meaning less washing up … always a bonus in my house. What are the three ingredients? […]
Beef and beer stew – new recipe
Beef and beer stew Beef and beer. Beer and beef. Two of Andrew’s favourite things, apart from me and Ioan, obviously. I think … so what could be wrong with beef cooked in beer? Nothing, I don’t think. Especially when it is cooked low and slow into this delicious beef and beer stew. Tender beef […]