This is my last meal planning for a whole week as this Saturday we are flying off to Spain with my parents and nephew for the week and we can’t bloody wait. It’s the first holiday abroad we’ve had in over 3 years plus the first one with a Toddler so my anxiety is a bit all over the place too. Watch out for the holiday spam.
Sausage casserole bake
Chicken katsu, rice and salad
Lasagna with garlic bread
Pizza & Chips
Takeaway
Holiday
Holiday
Apologises I have failed at doing this the last two weeks, it’s been a bit crazy and completely forgot.
The other night Freddie was playing in the garden and spotted a worm he sat and watched it for ages then daddy had to look too. Once the worm had gone he kept saying “bye bye worm”. I think he is going to love nature.
Ever since Freddie was born, I knew I wanted him in a bedtime routine to help him and help us. When he was newborn, that was different, but he has always slept reasonably well anyway. He was in a Moses basket next to me when we first brought him home and then when Freddie was only a few months old we had to move him into his room and his cot as he had outgrown the basket.
He slept well in the day, and we always made sure he had his last bottle when we went to bed.
When he got older, we started putting him to bed at about 7 pm and have slowly increased his bedtime, and now at 22 months he goes happily to bed at around 7.30/8pm depending on his nap time in the day or at nursery and whether we are out visiting friends and family.
We put him down with a bottle of milk, kiss him goodnight, turn the lights out and put his lullaby bear on, and without a fight, he drifts off to sleep. We rarely hear a peep till around 6.30/7am and some mornings we even have to go in and wake him up.
He has all sorts of weird sleeping positions and is still in a sleeping bag due to him fidgeting, as I can’t bring myself to getting him a pillow and quilt.
Don’t get me wrong we have had some horrendous nights too where he has been in with us since the early hours or I have had to get in with him but as often as we can we try and get him settled in his own bed.
Do you have a bedtime routine?
These weeks are going crazy quick. I’ve got two weeks till we go on holiday and eat and drink unlimited food and drinks. The weather has improved again and just hoping the sun is here to stay now. I will go food shopping again this week and then go when we get home after.
We had an OK week, I went to the dentist Friday and got to have a filling, then opticians Saturday and found out I’ve got a stigma in my left eye so need glasses but it’s all good.
Hot chicken baguettes with home made chips
Tuna pasta bake
Burgers
Garlic & Lemon Salmon with salad
Beef & broccoli stir fry with egg noodles
Sausage, egg, chips and beans
Roast dinner with all the trimmings
What are you cooking this week?
So, exactly two weeks after Freddie was exposed to Chickenpox going around the nursery, he started getting the signs and symptoms of it, then the spots. We noticed it Wednesday evening of the week before Easter when we were getting him ready for bed. I sent pictures to my parents, and my mum went straight to the chemist to get us some ointments to helps us get through it, especially as it was forecast to be extremely hot over the next few days.
The following morning he had got a few more than they started coming out thick and fast over the next few days. My mum and dad had him at ours on Thursday as he couldn’t go to the nursery and I couldn’t work from home, but luckily they’ve all had it.
His worst affected area was his nappy because it’s warm so wherever possible we allowed him to go around in the nuddy to let the air get to him and hopefully help with the healing process. We’ve had a lot of tears when we have tried to change him and wipe him down to make sure he is not getting sore or any infections. He did lose his appetite but has since made up for it.
Touch wood, he hasn’t been too bad despite been clingy. We have just tried to distract him with toys and playing frequently and not draw attention to it.
Finally, after just over four weeks the majority of his spots have scabbed over and disappeared. I am so proud of how well he has cope with it and only hope we don’t get it again.
The products we have used to help us get through and highly recommend were:
Virasoothe Chicken Pox relief gel – £9.50 75g
This gel has been amazing, especially in the hot weather we have experienced, every morning and every night we have smothered him top to toe to make sure he is keeping fresh and not scratching his spots.
Where to buy: Boots
Antihistamine Syrup
We haven’t used much of this as it only recommends you to give 2 x 2.5ml in 24 hours, but I would rather avoid using medicine where I can, for when we do need them.
Calpol
This was for when he had a temperature, it hasn’t been used much, but we have given it a couple of times, especially as we had a heat wave over the Easter holiday.
Where to buy: Majority of supermarkets & chemists
Head & Shoulders Classic Clean Anti-Dandruff 2in1 Shampoo Milk Edition
I was sent and told by several different people about this, and we have been using it every time Freddie had a bath to try to help. I don’t know if it has helped him as he can’t tell us yet, but I’m hoping it was still.
Where to buy: Majority of supermarkets
What are your top tips for dealing with Chicken Pox?
Another week of meal planning is here, and I finally went food shopping last week after not going for 2 weeks. I hope everyone has had a lovely bank holiday. My husband was working so we only had Sunday together and I went a met up with a friend for a catch up.
Beef stir fry with egg noodles
Bacon & spinach omelette with salad
Lasagna & garlic bread
Steak and homemade thick cut chips, mushrooms and grilled tomatoes
Takeaway (Pizza, Indian Or Chinese)
Crispy duck with pancakes
Roast Dinner with all the trimmings
That’s our meal plan for the week, what’s on yours?
I’m no chef but do enjoy cooking and trying new things. My husband can be a little fussy and this meal is one that he won’t eat but I still cook it for me and if you only want a little meal then this is ideal.
1 Salmon fillet (Fresh or frozen) per person
1 Lemon
Salt & pepper (for seasoning)
2 garlic gloves
1 tablespoon of butter
Half a bag of spinach
Mixed Salad for side (optional)
Step 1 – Place your salmon Fillet in some foil on a baking tray
Step 2 – Crush your 2 garlic gloves with a tablespoon of butter into a bowl and mix together
Step 3 – Get your lemon & cut 4 slices off
Step 4 – Place 2 of the sliced lemon pieces under your salmon fillet
Step 5 – Squeeze the other 2 slices over the salmon, season with pepper and spread your garlic butter over the top and then rest the remaining lemon slices on top of the butter
Step 6 – Wrap it up and place on the middle shelf of your preheated oven for approx 25-30 minutes on 220 C.
Whilst that is cooking, prep your spinach in a frying pan with a little olive oil and salt and pepper and cook this when your salmon is almost ready as it doesn’t take long to cook.
Then if your having salad with it, wash and chop up that and put on your plate ready for when your salmon is cooked.
Once the salmon is cooked, place your cooked spinach on the plate and place your salmon fillet on top.
There you have it, lemon and garlic salmon
If you wanted to add any extra’s such as a potato’s or rice then you can
The last meal planning Monday of April. Where has this month gone. The weather last week was hit and miss and was dodging between rain downfalls and sun. We are finally seeing Freddie’s chicken pox scabs disappear too and he has gone back to nursery.
Sausage casserole bake
Pizza & chips
Pukka Pie, mashed potato, veg and gravy
Beef & broccoli stir fry
Spaghetti Bolognese and garlic bread
Katsu Chicken, boiled rice and prawn crackers
Roast dinner with all the trimmings (Home/carvery treat)
What’s on your plate this week?
The last Sunday of April, how already?
Do hope everyone had a lovely Easter break. We had the chicken pox’s come and stay with us for the duration but we made the most of our family time, even if we were stuck in the house but the weather was glorious so we spent the majority of it in the garden and he loved it.
Well the run up to the Easter holidays was a little bit of a disaster as Freddie came down with the dreaded chicken pox so our plan of some quality family time and outings went out the window. Thankfully he is on the mend now and should be back to nursery this week but has seemed to have had it quite badly.
Hope you have all had a lovely Easter break however long you have had off work
This week I am cooking:
Salmon cooked in Garlic butter and lemon, with spinach and salad
Cheese & bacon quiche with savory rice
Lamb shanks in red wine sauce with roast potoates, parsnips and vegetables
Burgers and chips
Chicken & bacon tagliatelle
Takeaway
Roast dinner with all the trimmings
What are you cooking up?
