FAMILY RECIPES Archives - That Mama Club

Pear & Pecan Muffins (gluten & dairy free)

Filed Under: CMPA, FAMILY RECIPES, FOOD, HOME // February 19, 2022

What else does one do when you wake up early, it’s raining outside and you’re craving freshly baked muffins for breakfast…? Answer, get up at 6am and bake some delicious pear & pecan gluten free muffins!

I’ve worked on this recipe a few times now, previously I’d found that the recipe was quite dry (probably because I’d tried to make them more nutritious decreasing sugar and adding protein powder…). This morning, after looking through the cupboard, I found that I had pecans left over from my forgotten cookies.

I love the combination of the nuts and the sweet pear, it makes for a lovely breakfast treat!

MOIST AF BANANA BREAD

Filed Under: FAMILY RECIPES, FOOD, HOME // January 10, 2022

Sorry if you don’t like the word “moist”! There really is no other word for it. This banana bread from @feedingtheirfutures is moist as you like, plus it’s grain-free, refined-sugar free and packed with nutrients, so perfect for kiddie winks. (The spices make your kitchen smell like heaven while it’s cooking too).

To “healthy it up” she’s switched out the usual nutritionally-void self-raising flour for a mixture of almond flour (full of healthy fats) and hemp seed flour (an excellent source of plant-based protein and fibre). If you can’t get hemp seed flour, any other plain flour will do the job. She’s also exchanged the usual refined sugar for a combination of mashed bananas and maple syrup making it much more baby (and waistline) friendly.

Here are the ingredients:

1.5 cups almond flour (ground almonds)
1/2 cup of hemp seed flour (or any other plain flour e.g. wholemeal, spelt, white)
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
Pinch of salt
Spices – 1 tsp each of ground cinnamon, ginger & nutmeg
3 tbsp hemp seed oil or olive oil
3 free range eggs
3 ripe bananas
1/2 cup maple syrup
1.5 tsp vanilla extract

The Method:

Put all the wet ingredients in a food processor and mix well. You can whisk it by hand if you don’t have a food processor – just mash the bananas first.
Put all the dry ingredients into a large bowl and mix to combine. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix well.
Grease a loaf tin then pour in the mixture.
Bake at 170°C for 45 mins or until a knife comes out clean.

Please give this banana bread recipe a go & tag us if you do! Don’t forget to check out the wonderful Claire’s website where she shares so many delicious recipes that are perfect for the whole family.

SHORTCRUST MINCE PIE RECIPE

Filed Under: Christmas, FAMILY RECIPES, FOOD // December 22, 2021

Nothing screams Christmas quite like the smell of a freshly baked mince pie. Why not wow your guests this Christmas and out this super simple shortcrust mince pie recipe!

Equipment

A rolling pin
Weighing scales
A round cookie cutter and smaller star shaped cutter
A tart baking tray
A pastry brush

Ingredients

300g plain flour
150g butter (We like to use Stork when baking)
50g icing sugar
Jar of mince meat
1 egg

Method

Put the flour, butter and icing sugar in a bowl and rub together until it forms into a breadcrumb like texture
Using your hands, bind the mixture together until it’s like a dough consistency, if you’re struggling, try adding 1 or 2 tablespoons of water (but try and avoid it if you can for the shortest pastry!)
Tip onto a very lightly floured surface, knead briefly until smooth, then chill in the fridge for 30 mins or until firm.
You can lightly grease the tart baking tray whilst the pastry is chilling.
Once they’re done in the fridge, dust the work surface and rolling pin with flour and roll out the pastry until it is around 5mm thick.
Using a circle pastry cutter cut out 24 bases, put them into the tray and fill each one with 1 teaspoon of mince meat. Be careful not to overfill them as they will bubble over and look messy.

Super Easy Gingerbread Recipe

Filed Under: Christmas, FAMILY RECIPES, FOOD, HOME, KIDS CLUB // November 26, 2021

We at TMC love a recipe to do with the kids, why not make some gingerbread men to decorate together or gingerbread stars to hand from the Christmas tree? This easy gingerbread recipe is unbelievably easy and so forgiving if it’s overworked, so perfect for getting the kids involved in.

Ingredients

– 100g salted butter
– 3 tablespoons golden syrup
– 100g of dark muscovado sugar
– 1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
– 1 tablespoon ground ginger
– 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
– 225g plain flour

Method

Step one:
On a low heat, melt together the butter, sugar and golden syrup. Stir occasionally and leave to one side to cook slightly.

Step two:
Mix together the flour, bicarb, cinnamon and ginger in a separate bowl before adding in your buttery mixture. Stir to combine, then use your hands to bring it all together into a dough. The dough will be really soft and mouldable at this point, but it will firm up in the fridge.

Step 3:
Put the dough on a sheet of baking paper and shape with your hands into a rectangle. Lay another sheet of baking paper over the top and roll it out to about 1/2 cm thickness. Transfer the lot onto a baking tray to keep it nice and flat, then pop it in the fridge to chill for 1 hour.

Step 4:
Heat the oven to 190C/ 170C fan/ gas 5. Remove the dough from the fridge and start cutting your shapes! We made stars and men of different sizes and used a leaf cutter for the remaining bits of dough. If you want to hang them up, don’t forget to poke out a little hole for your ribbon to go through!

Step 5:
Place the biscuit shapes together on a baking paper lined tray, giving each one a little room, and bake for 9-12 minutes depending on the size of your biscuits. Once done, leave them to cool completely on the baking tray.

Step 6:
Time to decorate! Once cooled, you can use icing sugar in a piping bag (or store brought tubes) and any other edible decorations to make your gingerbread extra fancy. of course, you can always skip this step and devour them right away!

CHICKEN HASH WITH EGGS

Filed Under: FAMILY RECIPES, FOOD // November 24, 2021

CHICKEN HASH WITH EGGS

A nutritious and satisfying breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner from @feedingtheirfutures.

This hash is made with the leftovers from a roast chicken dinner, so it’s perfect for cheering up a dreary Monday morning.

This dish is absolutely packed with protein, veg & healthy fats, with a fraction of the salt that normally comes in traditional savoury breakfasts, because you’re using roast chicken instead of something processed such as bacon or sausages.

It’s largely made with leftovers from a roast chicken dinner, so it’s great one to have on a Monday morning. It’s a good idea to make a little extra mash & cabbage to use for this dish the next day.

INGREDIENTS-

1 tbsp unsalted butter

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 green bell pepper, finely chopped

1/2 a red onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

A handful of cooked potato – you could use mash, squashed roasties, or jacket potato

A handful of shredded, cooked chicken

1-2 eggs per person

Any leftover greens you’ve got – cabbage works best

METHOD-

Melt the butter in the oil in a large non-stick pan

Add the onion and green pepper. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until softened. Then add the crushed garlic and stir.

Add the potato and chicken, and flatten the mixture with a spatula into a patty.

Cook over a high heat until crusty on the bottom (about 5 minutes).

Turn the mixture over and reform into a patty. Cook until browned on the other side (about 3-5 minutes).

Using the back of a spoon, make some dents in the hash and then crack the eggs into the dents.

Cover with the lid and cook over medium heat until the egg whites are just set but the yolks are still runny.

You can top this with grated cheese if you like, and if you want a bit of extra spice – add some jalapenos.

IMMUNE-BOOSTING SOUP

Filed Under: FAMILY RECIPES, FOOD // November 19, 2021

This delicious, nutritious immune-boosting soup from @feedingtheirfutures is packed with ingredients to help strengthen your family’s defence systems during the winter flu season.

Whilst you can never fully control whether or not you get poorly, with daily positive actions you can strengthen your immune system, reducing your susceptibility to illness and better preparing your body for fighting off bugs.

Some great habits to practice include:

Eat mostly unprocessed whole foods

Get enough protein, healthy fats, fruits and vegetables

Consume an appropriate number of calories (to avoid gaining or lose excess body fat)

Move regularly and get out in the fresh air daily

Reduce smoking and excessive alcohol consumption

Get plenty of sleep

Manage stress with mindfulness exercises

INGREDIENTS

1 medium butternut squash

1 large sweet potato

1 onion

3 cloves of garlic, crushed

1 apple, peeled, cored and diced

1 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated

Ground spices: 1 tsp each of cinnamon and turmeric

1 litre chicken broth (ideally make your own for extra nutrients, by boiling the bones and carcass of a roast chicken for 3 hours, then straining off the liquid through a sieve)

METHOD

Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees

Cut the butternut squash in half lengthways and remove the seeds. Cut the sweet potato in half lengthways and place both face up on a baking tray. Roast for 30-40 months, until the flesh is soft.

Meanwhile, fry the onion in olive oil in the base of a large pot until translucent.

Add the garlic, apple and spices and fry for a few minutes.

Once the sweet potato and squash have cooled, scoop out the soft flesh and add to the pot.

Pour over the stock and bring to the boil. Reduce to a simmer and let it bubble for 10-15 minutes then turn off the heat and allow to cool.

Blend until smooth with a stick blender or by transferring the mixture to a jug blender.

Toast some seeds in a dry frying pan for topping (cut them small or grind them into sprinkles for smaller babies).

Reheat the soup to serve, topped with Greek yoghurt and toasted seeds.

BLUEBERRY COCONUT OAT BARS

Filed Under: FAMILY RECIPES, FOOD // November 18, 2021

These Blueberry Coconut Oat Bars (or porridge fingers) from @feedingtheirfutures make a great healthy, on-the-go breakfast or snack.

They’re packed with immune-boosting ingredients, perfect for this time of year when the bugs are flying round at school and nursery!

Blueberries – berries are rich in antioxidants, particularly blueberries and raspberries.

Oatmeal – oats contain beta-glucan, which is an antimicrobial fiber and antioxidant.

Coconut – coconut milk, coconut water or coconut oil are rich in lauric acid, which is converted to monolaurin in your body – a compound that strengthens immunity.

Eggs – packed with amino acids and antioxidants.

Live Greek yoghurt (on the side) – contains probiotics, the healthy bacteria your intestine needs to keep your digestive system healthy.

INGREDIENTS-

3 cups rolled oats

2 eggs

1 can full fat coconut milk

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 cup blueberries, frozen or fresh (half them for babies)

1/2 cup shredded coconut

METHOD-

Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees and grease an 8×8 baking dish.

In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs then add the coconut milk, oats, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon and shredded coconut, then stir well and combine.

Add the blueberries and stir again.

Spread the mixture in the baking dish and bake for 30-40 minutes until the top is a light toasty brown.

Cut the squares and serve warm with a dollop of natural yoghurt or enjoy cold later as a snack or easy-grab breakfast.

If you make these blueberry coconut oat bars, please tag us on Instagram so we can see!

CORNED BEEF HASH WITH FRIED EGG RECIPE

Filed Under: FAMILY RECIPES, FOOD, HOME // October 5, 2021

This Corned Beef Hash recipe from @feedingtheirfutures makes a hearty, nutritious and budget-friendly breakfast or a quick, easy dinner, perfect for cold, dark autumnal days.

It’s also a great way to use up leftover mashed potato and vegetables from your Sunday roast (we recommend making a little extra to make sure you have enough to make this!)

If you don’t have leftovers, you’ll just need to boil and mash some potatoes before making this. The green veg can be fried at the time of making it.

There are loads of substitution options too:

Try different veg, such as spinach, green beans or broccoli
Try mashed carrots, parsnips, squash or sweet potato instead of the regular mash
If you don’t like eggs, you could top it with smoky bacon and/or grated cheese

Ingredients:

1/2 a white onion
A big handful of leftover leafy greens e.g. cabbage, spring greens
A big handful of leftover mashed potato
1 tin corned beef
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Eggs – 1 per person
A drizzle of olive oil
Salt & pepper

Method:

Heat oil in a large frying pan then fry the onion until translucent.
Add your leafy greens and stir fry until warmed through.
Empty the pan into a large bowl and combine with the leftover mash, corned beef and Worcestershire sauce.
Mush it all together, add salt & pepper to the mixture, mix it up and then roll into balls.
Flatten out the balls into patties and fry for a few minutes on each size. They will go softer in the pan and won’t flip like a sturdy pancake so you may need to reshape as you go along.
Remove the patties and keep them warm whilst you fry the eggs. Serve the eggs on top of the patties.

RECIPE BY : FEEDING THEIR FUTURES

HEALTHY GRANOLA BARS RECIPE

Filed Under: FAMILY RECIPES, FOOD // September 29, 2021

These delicious granola bars from @feedingtheirfutures make a great nutritious breakfast or snack that are great for the whole family, free from refined sugar and packed with protein, healthy fats, fibres, vitamins, and minerals.

Nuts: high in fat, low in carbs, and a great source of several nutrients, including vitamin E, magnesium, and selenium.

Seeds: great sources of healthy fats, protein, fibre and antioxidants

Oats: high in phosphorus, magnesium, copper, iron, zinc, folate, vitamin B1 (thiamin) and they contain beta-glucan, which is an antioxidant.

Coconut: rich in lauric acid, which is converted to monolaurin in your body, which strengthens immunity.

Live Greek yoghurt (on the side): contains probiotics, the healthy bacteria your intestine needs to keep your digestive system healthy.

GRANOLA BARS

You can store them in an airtight container for a few days, in the fridge for up to a week or freeze them for up to 2 months.

If you’re making them for under-1’s, make sure you crush the nuts up very small and swap out the honey for maple syrup or fruit syrup.

Ingredients:

150g rolled oats

150g dried cranberries or other dried fruit

50g mixed nuts, crushed (put them in a sandwich bag and bash them up with a rolling pin)

50g mixed seeds (e.g. chia, hemp, flax, sesame, sunflower, pumpkin, linseed)

1 tbsp desiccated coconut

3 tablespoons coconut oil

75g honey (or maple syrup for under 1s)

25g butter

1 ripe banana, mashed

Method:

Preheat oven to 180
Put all dry ingredients into a bowl and mix well
Melt the coconut oil and butter in a saucepan, then add the honey or maple syrup. Stir to combine
Pour the mixture into a bowl, add the mashed banana and mix well
Press the mixture into the base of a greased, 8×8 inch baking tin. Really push it down to help it to bind, then bake for 25 minutes
Cut into bars and serve with a dollop of Greek yoghurt for breakfast or enjoy as a snack on the go.

There you have it, super easy & nutritious granola bars recipe that the whole family can tuck into! Will you be trying these?

RECIPE BY : FEEDING THEIR FUTURES

SUMMER SMOOTHIE RECIPES

Filed Under: FAMILY RECIPES, FOOD, HOME // July 20, 2021

One of my favourite things about Summer is smoothies! Usually, in the colder months, smoothies aren’t number one. But this is where they shine, and they’re super healthy! So if you’re trying to cut back on sugar but are craving something sweet, this is for you. Not only are they nutritious and sweet, but they’re also filling and customizable. Drink these for breakfast, before your workout, an evening snack, midnight snack, etc. Smoothies are an all-day thing, and with these summer smoothie recipes, they’re about to become your favourite thing.

(Protein powders are optional in all of these)

Instruction

The instructions for all these are pretty much the same, add the ingredients into a blender. And blend. Then serve, you can add ice if you want a colder and smoother taste. Or you can freeze the milk into ice cubes if you don’t want to add water.

Banana Chocolate Protein Smoothie

This smoothie is really creamy, and is a healthier version of a chocolate milkshake! Most of these recipes have 4 main ingredients with additional add-ons.

Ingredients

½-1 banana sliced
½ cup yogurt (this makes it creamier and thicker)
½ cup milk
2 cardamoms (optional)
Chia seeds and/or flaxseed (optional but makes it healthier)
Chocolate protein powder (I’ve found that chocolate protein powder goes best with bananas and apples)
Ice(optional)

Mango Smoothie with a Kick

This is the smoothie version of mango lassi. Which is a blend of yogurt, water/milk, spices, and mango.

Ingredients

½-1 cup mango chunks or whole mango fruit
½ cup yogurt
½ cup milk
2 Cardamoms
A thin slice of ginger
Protein Powder(optional, but I haven’t found one that goes well with mango)
Ice(optional)

Orange Milkshake Smoothie

Ingredients

Half an orange cut in slices
¼ cup yogurt
½ cup milk
cardamom(optional)
Chia seeds and/or flaxseed (optional but makes it healthier)
protein powder (optional)
Ice(optional)

Apple & Banana Smoothie

If you want more than one fruit in your smoothie, then try this apple and banana smoothie.

Plus, if you want to add more servings of the fruit, go ahead! This is your smoothie.

Ingredients

½-1 banana sliced
Half apple sliced
¼ cup yogurt
½ cup milk
cardamom(optional)
Chia seeds and/or flaxseed (optional but makes it healthier)
protein powder (optional)
Ice(optional)

Mixed (Frozen) Berry Smoothie

One of my favourite things about the mixed berry smoothie is that it needs the least work. If you’re in a rush you don’t need to peel/chop up fruits and can just use frozen berries.

Another smoothie tip is to freeze the fruit ahead of time, so if you’re in a rush you can make it quicker.

Ingredients

1/4 cup yogurt
¼ – ½ cup milk
½ cup frozen berries
Chia seeds and/or flaxseed (optional but makes it healthier)
protein powder (optional)
Ice(optional)

Veggie Green Smoothie

Ever wanted a healthier smoothie? This is the one for you, with your favourite veggies you can make a veg smoothie for the trip.

You can also use beetroot, carrots, celery, etc for other vegetables.

Ingredients

¼ cup yogurt
¼ -½ cup milk
spinach/kale
Avocado (optional)
Any other veggies you like in smoothies!
Chia seeds and/or flaxseed (optional but makes it healthier)
protein powder (optional)
Ice(optional)

Those are 6 smoothie recipes, perfect for breakfast or just a cool evening drink. If you want to replace a meal with it, try adding protein powder so you’re more fuelled for the day.

One of the best things about smoothies is that if you’re trying to eat healthier, you don’t have to be stuck with bitter, boring food you don’t like! Smoothies can be sweeter with honey and riper/sweeter fruit, plus thicker if you add nuts or more yogurt.

There’s no one size fits all, so experiment with your smoothies! I own a NutriBullet blender, and I’ve had it for about 2 years now, and it’s great! But any blender you have will do, so enjoy your smoothie and let me know if you have any favourite recipes.

I love expanding my smoothie list and would love to hear what you think about these smoothies. Thanks for reading!

And thank you That Mama Club for letting me guest post on their blog!

About the blogger: Hey there, I’m Sejal! I’m a blogger that helps people on their journey to become the best versions of themselves. You can find me sharing guides, tips, sarcastic remarks, and more on my blog, The Lazy Gal. Everyone is welcome in that little corner of the internet, read more about me here.

You can find Sejal on her socials here.

FAMILY FRIENDLY VEGAN LASAGNE

Filed Under: FAMILY RECIPES, FOOD, HOME, VEGAN // March 10, 2021

WRITTEN BY LAURA THOMPSON (GUEST WRITER)

Lasagne is a great family friendly recipe. Throughout my childhood it was one of my favourite meals and now as a Mama I love to make a delicious lasagne to share with my family. We are plant based so this recipe is but if you are a meat or dairy eater you could easily substitute the plant-based ingredients in this recipe for meat and dairy versions. I thought I would share my recipe for our family friendly vegan lasagne.

This is a great way to get vegetables into your children. With all the yummy flavour of the tomato sauce they will not notice the extra vegetables added in if they are chopped up small enough. Or if like me you find that little one will sometimes eat only the veg and nothing else, I find that mixing everything together like in a lasagne means that they are guaranteed to get a bit of everything on their spoon and into their bellies.

The great thing about these recipes as well is lots of the ingredients are optional for taste, so if you know your family will not eat mushrooms or hates paprika – you don’t need to include them; only the ‘meat’, tomato sauce, pasta and ‘cheese’ sauce are required to make the lasagne.

The ‘meat’ sauce for this recipe can also be used in a variety of other dishes such as Spaghetti Bolognese, pasta bake or even cold in sandwiches to make a sort of ‘sloppy joe’ – the possibilities are endless.

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

400g vegan mince
1 tin of chopped tomatoes
1 onion
5-6 mushrooms
2 carrots
1 stick of celery
1tsp garlic puree (I prefer this as its quicker and easier than fresh garlic)
1 tsp oil
1 tsp smoked paprika
Lasagne sheets (I use 2-3 per layer)
2-3 tbsp tomato puree
100g vegan cheese
About 150ml soya milk (this is rough as I just add a bit at a time to make the sauce)
2 tbsp mixed herbs
3 tbsp nutritional yeast (a cheesy, nutty powder full of B12)

Method

In a large frying pan add the oil, chopped onion and paprika and lightly sauté.
Slice and add the mushrooms.
Chop small and add the carrots and celery.
Sauté for a few minutes.
Add the mince to the pan and cook according to packet instructions.
Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato puree, herbs and 1.5 tbsp nutritional yeast. Mix and leave to simmer for a few minutes.
Chop the vegan cheese up into small pieces.
In a small frying pan add a drizzle of oil and then add the chopped up vegan cheese. As it starts to melt add a bit of soya milk at a time to create the sauce. Its ready when all the cheese is melted. Then you can add the rest of the nutritional yeast and mix it in well.
Now it is time to assemble the lasagne. I like to start with lasagne sheets on the bottom but this can sometimes leave them tough and uncooked. You need to assemble 1 layer of lasagne then 1 layer of ‘meat’ sauce and keep going until all the sauce is used up. I don’t usually finish with a layer of lasagne sheets but some people like to. The final step is to drizzle all of your cheese sauce over the top.

Bake in the oven for 25-30minutes at 200°C/180°C (Fan) (the exact time and temperature may vary slightly depending upon your oven)

I like to serve with sweetcorn and a slice of homemade garlic bread.

I hope you enjoy making this delicious family friendly plant-based lasagne. I can be found on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/elle_jay_food/ , my blog https://ellejaycakesandbakes356902866.wordpress.com/ and on Youtube https://www.youtube.com/user/ellejaystar/

7 DAY BUDGET FRIENDLY MEAL PLAN FOR FAMILIES

Filed Under: FAMILY RECIPES, FOOD, GUEST POST, HOME // March 1, 2021

BY VANESSA JONES (GUEST WRITER)

The lovely Vanessa is here to share a 7 day budget friendly meal plan for everyone to enjoy!

Your 7 Day Budget Friendly Meal Plan

Getting kids to eat healthy isn’t always easy, with all the colourful and enticing packaging that comes with those freezer friendly goodies they want to eat until the cows come home. Now don’t get me wrong, sometimes it is just easier to throw some fish fingers in the oven and be done with it. But how can we encourage our veggie dodging darlings to tuck in when you really want them to eat a good home cooked meal you know is full of goodness and not packed with salt?

Here’s 7 recipes we all eat in our household, they are healthy, low in salt (if any at all!) and budget friendly!

All of the recipes can be easily made vegetarian using your favourite meat replacement produce. Each recipe is designed to serve 4 adult portions, or 2/ 3 adult portions and 2/ 3 child’s portions.

Veggie Jambalaya.

This meal is always a hit in our house, 1 because it’s delicious and 2, because you cook everything in one pan so less dishes to wash!

Ingredients:

2 garlic cloves
1 large white onion
1 red bell pepper
100g mushrooms (whatever is your fave)
2 carrots
100g sweetcorn
1 tin chopped tomatoes
1 pint vegetable stock
360g white rice (basmati is best, but long grain works just as well)
2 tbsp smoked paprika
2 tbsp thyme
1 tsp cumin
Salt and pepper to taste (add salt after cooking to keep children’s portions low in salt)

Method:

Dice all of the vegetables
Spray a pan with some low calorie cooking spray and add the garlic and onions, with 2tbsp water. Fry for 2-3 minutes.
Then add the remaining vegetables and fry for around 10 minutes, until they are almost soft.
Add the rice, herbs and spices and fry for a minute or two.
Pour over the stock and chopped tomatoes then mix well.
Place a lid on the pan and allow to simmer until the rice is cooked and almost all of the liquid is absorbed.
Serve and enjoy!

Smokey Sausage and Bean Stew:

This is always a firm hit in our house and such a hearty meal, especially good for the winter months!

Ingredients:

6 sausages, use whichever you like really, Heck sausages do a lovely range of healthier sausages and Linda McCartney Red Onion & Rosemary sausages work particularly well.
1 large onion
2 red peppers, bell peppers work fine, but Romano/ramiro peppers give a really lovely flavour to the dish
1 garlic clove
1tsp chilli powder
1tbsp smoked paprika
1&½ tsp mustard powder
1tbsp Worcestershire sauce
500ml passata
100ml stock (again use your usual, chicken/vegetable are best)
1 400g can of mixed beans (if you can’t find this straight red kidney beans is fine!)
4 spring onions

Method:

- spray a large deep saucepan or casserole pan with low calorie cooking spray and place over a high heat.
- Add the onion, peppers, garlic and 2tbsp of water, reduce the heat and cook until soft
- Meanwhile, spray a non-stick frying pan with cooking spray and sear the sausages until browned all over, set to one side.
- To the cooked vegetables, ass the chilli powder, paprika, mustard powder, Worcestershire sauce, passata, stock and beans.
- Bring to the boil over a high heat.
- Meanwhile, cut each sausage into 4 pieces, cutting on a diagonal line.
- Stir the sausages into the stew, reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Serve and sprinkle with some spring onions.

You can serve this alone, with some veggies, with mashed potatoes or even rice. It also makes a lovely jacket potato topping!

Cottage Pie:

A great hearty classic for any meal plan and another easy way to hide plenty of lovely veggies!

Ingredients:

500g lean mince (I use pork, but use your favourite)
400g tin of chopped tomatoes
1 onion
1 pepper
200g mushrooms
1 carrot
2 sticks of celery
600g white potatoes. If you like swede you can always add some to your mash!
1 stock cube
1tsp garlic powder
1tbps parsley

Method:

Finely dice all of the vegetables and cook in a deep frying pan, with the stock cube and 50mls of water. Cook until soft.
Once cooked, set the veggies to one side in a bowl.
Into the same frying pan, add your mincemeat and brown all over.
Meanwhile, peel and dice the potatoes and boil until soft enough to mash.
Once the mince is cooked, add into a deep, oven-proof dish. Add in the vegetables, chopped tomatoes and seasoning, mix well.
Once the potatoes are ready to mash, drain the water and add approx 50-75mls milk (whichever you use, although probably not almond milk!) if you would prefer to add butter then do so!
Spread the mash over the mince mixture and bake in the oven at 180c until crispy on top, around 20-25 minutes.
Serve up with your favourite vegetables, or even baked beans for the veggie dodgers!

Nice & easy Tomato and Basil Pasta:

Sometimes you just need to keep it simple! You can’t really be bothered to cook, but don’t want to fork out on a takeaway. This meal takes about 20 minutes to make, so probably less time than the pizza you’re thinking of ordering!

Ingredients:

I don’t really like to put portion control on pasta, it’s my kryptonite. So use as much of you usual pasta as you would usually eat!
500ml of passata (or a tinned tomatoes if that’s what you have in the cupboard!)
15-20 fresh basil leaves (or 3tbsp of dried basil)
1 onion
1 pepper
200g mushrooms
2 garlic cloves
Grated cheddar to top.

Method:

- Finely dice the garlic, onions, peppers and mushrooms and fry until soft.
- Cook the pasta as per packet instruction
- Add the passata and basil (chop the basil if using fresh) to the cooked vegetables and stir together well

Optional step- if you’ve got veggie dodgers you can blitz the sauce and they won’t know it’s not the usual jar you buy in the supermarkets, which are often filled with hidden sugars and high in salt.
Once the pasta is cooked, stir into the sauce, serve and add the cheese.

*if you wish you can spruce it up and add bacon, chicken or even a sprinkling of chilli flakes.

Nandos fakeaway:

We love eating out, so obviously thanks here to our dear pal Rona. So during the lockdowns, we came up with some recipes to help us get our fix, enter the fakeaway!

Ingredients:

4 wholemeal pittas (1 pitta per person, ½ for tiny appetites!)
3 large chicken breasts
1 onion
1 pepper
1 block of halloumi
500g white potatoes (or sweet potatoes if you fancy something different!)
4 corn on the cob (the half cobs are perfect for little hands)
6 tbsp of Peri Peri sauce (choose your spice 🌶)

Method:

Slice the chicken into thin strips and marinate with all of the peri peri sauce, leave for as long as possible, I usually leave for 4 hours.
Peel and slice the potatoes into chips, cook at 180c for 25-30 minutes.
Place the corn into water and boil until cooked, usually about 20 minutes
Slice the halloumi and set to one side.
Slice the onion and peppers and fry until soft
Meanwhile fry the chicken until cooked and a little crispy.
When the chicken is nearly done, grill the halloumi until browned
Assemble the chicken, halloumi, onions and peppers into the pittas and serve up with the chips and corn and any favourite sauces you love to have with your nandos!

Spaghetti and meatballs with hidden veggie sauce:

Who doesn’t love pasta night! We use turkey or pork mince, however you can use whichever mince meat or meat replacement you love the most!

Ingredients:

spaghetti (or any pasta you choose)
500g lean turkey mince
1 large white onion
1 red pepper
200g mushrooms
1 carrot
600ml passata
2tbsp mixed herbs
4 garlic cloves
1 stock cube (choose your usual, I always tend to use vegetable stock cubes)
Parmesan (for a cheesy finish!)

Method:

Crush the garlic cloves and put half to one side. Mix the remaking half well into the turkey mince.
Make the turkey mince into balls about the size of a golf ball.
In a frying pan, cook the meatballs until they are seared on the outside.
Finely dice the onion, peppers, carrot and mushrooms and fry with the other half of the garlic until they are all soft.
To the veggies add the passata, mixed herbs and stock cube and blitz until smooth (if you’re kids aren’t veggie dodgers you can skip this step if you wanted to!)
In an oven-proof dish, pour the sauce over the meatballs and bake in the oven for 30 minutes at 180c
Whilst the meatballs cook, cook the pasta as per packet instructions.
Serve with a sprinkling of Parmesan (or cheddar if that’s what you have in the fridge!)

Tortilla/pitta pizzas and homemade chips:

This one isn’t really a set recipe, the choices are endless and up to you! The recipe is also a fun activity for the kids to help get stuck in!

Ingredients:

4 Tortilla wraps or pitta breads. Choose your favourites, it can be wholemeal/white/mini/large. It’s up to you!
Passata
Grated cheese- Again choose your favourite, mozzarella is the ultimate pizza cheese though.
Toppings- go crazy! Add as much or as little, let the children make faces or shapes. Get stuck in, make some mess and enjoy the family time.
4 large white potatoes

Method:

Preheat your oven to 180c (fan)
Peel the potatoes and chop into chips
Place on a baking tray that’s been sprayed with a low calorie cooking spray.
Bake until golden on the outside and fluffy on the inside (about 30-40 minutes depending on how big you cut your chips!
Cover each ‘pizza’ base with passata then go wild with your toppings!
Pop into the oven for 8-10 minutes

Bonus date night dinner!

Last but certainly not least when it comes to my budget friendly meal plan..

Parenting is a tough gig and sometimes your relationship has to take a back seat, but it’s so important to remember to nurture your relationship as well as your children.

So here’s a treat yourself date night dinner, without compromising your healthy eating.

Lamb chops, with hassleback new potatoes, steamed vegetables and onion gravy.

Serves 2.

Side note: if lamb is not your thing, switch out for your favourite steak, chicken or meat replacement.

Ingredients:

4 lamb chops
8 fairly large new potatoes
4 garlic cloves
2 sprigs of Rosemary
Tender stem broccoli
Fine green beans
2 medium carrots

For the gravy:

1 medium onion
1 stock cube made with 1 pint of boiling water
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp tomato puree
2 tsp thyme

There you have it! A budget friendly meal plan the whole family will enjoy! I hope this has given you a little meal inspiration, Bon appetit Mama’s! Do you have a budget friendly meal plan you’d be willing to share?

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INSTAGRAM: RAISING FREDDIE

BAKING WITH CHILDREN TIPS

Filed Under: FAMILY RECIPES, FOOD, GUEST POST, HOME, MOTHERHOOD // February 26, 2021

BY BETH BALDWIN (GUEST WRITER)

Baking with kids…a phrase that used to fill me with dread! I would fix a smile on my face and say “you’re doing great” through gritted teeth, while internally screaming about egg shells in the bowl and mixture on the floor. And I know I’m not alone in this!

But now…my daughter (aged 4) and I love to bake together, we do it every week! And I never thought I’d be saying this, but I’m here to convince you it’s actually fab! I am also going to be sharing my baking with children tips!

1) It’s a time to bond and make memories! The reason I persevered through the baking angst is because I have such fond memories of baking when I was a child, and it’s so great knowing that I’m making these memories with her that will last. We always have a fun time when we bake together!

2) It’s a learning experience. Every time we bake I use the opportunity to test her ability to read simple recipes, measure ingredients and follow instructions. She’s not just having fun, but learning every time!

3) It stops becoming so messy! The older she gets, and the more we practice, she understands the cleaning process a bit more and there are less spills than we had at the beginning!

4) It allows your child to express some creativity! I used to cringe a bit when I felt like my daughter was “ruining” what we’d baked (I know that sounds horrible, I feel awful typing it, but the lack of control used to make me really uncomfortable) – but now, it’s so fun and liberating to see her chuck everything she can at a cake and see what happens! And if for example, we’re making cupcakes for an occasion that need to look neat, we bake a few extra and my daughter can do whatever she wants to the extras and we can be more careful with the rest.

5) It can be so easy and cheap! Anything from melting chocolate and spreading it on biscuits with some sprinkles on top, to a cheap cake mix from the supermarket, to a sponge cake or brownies or sugar cookies.

So, now that I’ve hopefully convinced you that baking with little ones can be so fun and beneficial, I thought I’d give you our favourite go-to recipe for when it’s raining, when we’re bored, when we want to whip up something tasty to gift to someone, when we need something quick and reliable. It’s a sugar cookie recipe that we’ve been using forever and it’s fool proof!

You’ll need…

– 225g unsalted butter

– 200g granulated white sugar

– 1tsp vanilla extract

– 1 egg

– 2tsp baking powder

– 1/2tsp salt

– 360g plain flour (plus extra for rolling out)

To make…

– Preheat your oven to 180°

– Cream the butter and sugar together until smooth

– Beat in the vanilla and egg

– In a separate bowl combine the dry ingredients, and mix in slowly to your butter mixture

– Roll out in batches to a quarter inch thickness, let your little ones cut out whatever shapes they want!

– Bake on a lined baking sheet for 6-8 mins, they’ll still look a bit pale but don’t worry, they’re cooked!

– Decorate however you’d like to…melted chocolate, sprinkles, glace icing, tubes of writing icing…the sky is the limit!

– Then use for bribery purposes until you run out 😉

Enjoy!!

Beth xx

We really hope you enjoyed these baking with children tips!

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INSTAGRAM: THIS MUMS LIFE

THE BEST PANCAKE RECIPES TO TRY

Filed Under: FAMILY RECIPES, FOOD, HOME // February 10, 2021

I think it is safe to say that we don’t have much to look forward to this year but one thing we DO have, is Pancake Day. I’m not over exaggerating when I say it is one of our favourite days of the year. We thought we would share our favourite pancake recipes that are all tried & tested (and bloody delicious!!).

PANCAKE RECIPES

EASY FLUFFY AMERICAN PANCAKES BY DELS COOKING TWIST

IMAGE & RECIPE FOUND HERE

You can’t go wrong with a super easy & quick American pancake recipe – they are super fluffy & light! I love how versatile these can be and lets be honest, these are definitely a weekly breakfast in our house.

SIMPLE VEGAN PANCAKES – NORA COOKS

IMAGE & RECIPE FOUND HERE

We know quite a few of you are vegan & these pancakes are perfect for you! Made with just 6 ingredients and you only need to use one bowl!!!! It’s win win, delicious pancakes & hardly any washing up. Perfect.

LEMON PANCAKES – JUST SO TASTY

IMAGE & RECIPE FOUND HERE

Possibly my favourite…. i’m a sucker for anything citrus!!!! These are extra fluffy & delicious, using both fresh lemon juice & zest, so good!!! Perfect served with some vanilla ice cream and fresh berries. Okay, now i’m craving pancakes again…..

BANANA PANCAKES – THE WORKING BOAT

PHOTO & RECIPE FOUND HERE

Sweet pancakes are my favourite, fruit is my go to topping (along with Nutella, let’s not be crazy now!) and these banana pancakes are EXCELLENT. They are also a hit with the littles! Remember the banana bread craze of lockdown 1.0, well we think this is an upgrade.

CINNAMON ROLL PANCAKES – LIL LUNA

IMAGE & RECIPE FOUND HERE

I’m sorry but how fucking good do these look?!!!! I’m not going to lie, mine looked nothing like this – because Mary Berry I aint, but they tasted SO GOOD. These are the perfect pancakes if you want a really indulgent pancake, and who doesn’t want that?! Pancake Day is only once a year people!!!!!

SLOW COOKER RECIPES TO TRY THIS WINTER

Filed Under: FAMILY RECIPES, FOOD // January 11, 2021

I have owned a slow cooker for quite a few years now, since moving out of my family home actually – I think my mum bought it for me. However I very rarely used it, maybe for the odd recipe here & there but I honestly didn’t see the fuss. It wasn’t until I joined Slimming World maybe three years ago that I started using it more often & trying new recipes, it opened my eyes to all the different things you can make in them!