Weekly Menu 14th - 18th July

This week is likely to be hectic with it being the last week of term and himself is off to an event this weekend so that means him packing all the group camping stuff etc.

I am hurriedly finishing pressies for Small's teacher and two teaching assistants as they have been wonderful and proved it is possible to teach well in a state school even one where half the kids start with no English and they still managed to keep a very intelligent, bouncy child interested and engaged all year while teaching others the most basic of communication.. I'm not quite sure how they do it but they are wonderful. Just a little brag.. we are going into the afternoon assembly as he is being awarded the Yearly Award for his class !!

This weeks gluten free swap is hosted by the founder Gluten Free Mommy and she has chosen peaches. I love peaches though I hold out for really ripe ones. I will be checking out our local greengrocers later in the week and if they have some in I will certainly get some, I'm tempted to do a peach crumble if I do but normally we just eat them fresh. ( Edit to add - Martha Stewart's cookie of the day is a peach one ! Will need converting but if I get some spare time this weekend I may try)

The picture at the top is the terrine from last week. It was very tasty but not everyone liked the layer of liver s next time I might chop the liver up and mix it in as it definetly added to the depth of flavour. The remaining slices were frozen and will probably got off to the camping event with himself.

As himself is working lates and then away from Thursday Small and I will probably have tea early and it will have to be quick and easy so some days may get replaced with salad which is his current favourite meal ! Salad for him means tomato, cucumber, carrots, ham, cheese (cottage or hard), majo, possibly sweetcorn and some fruit. I'm not objecting though!

Monday - Gammon, eggs and potatoes

Tuesday - Tomato and eggs

Wensday - Pasta and sauce

Thursday - some sort of chicken and rice

Friday -salad and baked potatoes

Chicken with Walnuts and Apricots

I'm not sure where I got this originally as it's been on a card in my recipe file untried for years. However we finally tried it this week and it was fantastic, very flavoursome, very easy and just generally wonderful. As several people have expressed interest in it I am posting it here. No photo I'm afraid, it isn't a very photogenic dish to be honest but the taste makes up for that.

serves 4

2tbsp Olive oil
knob of butter
2 Onions, chopped
4 chicken legs
1/2pt (300ml) chicken or veg stock
large piece of finely chopped ginger
1 cinnamon stick, broken in 1/2
6oz (175g) ready to eat dried apricots
1tbsp honey
2oz (50g) walnut halfs

Heat the oil and butter in a pan and fry off the onions till lightly coloured, remove from pan and reserve.

Fry off chicken on all sides till brown.

Then add back the onions and all the other ingredients except the walnuts.

Bring to the boil the reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30-40 mins till chicken is tender.

Stir in walnuts and simmer for an extra 10 mins.

Serve with rice or another similar grain.

Weekly Menu 7th - 11th July

Where has the year gone? We are over halfway though Treestump is changing from a newborn to a baby who is frustrated his limbs will not do what he wants and getting upset when people eat in front of him to the extent I am going to start preping food for him to over the next few weeks so watch this space. His brother started on solids at four months and I think he is ready too.

however on to feeding the rest of us. This weeks menu swap is hosted by Cheryl over at Gluten free Goodness and she has picked raspberries as the weekly ingredient. No hardship there then. I will certinlay be munching though some this week as they are my favourite. I hope to take Small fruit picking in the coming weeks too particularly as school is finishing soon, though I need to practice driving the bigger cars before then as me and two children do not fit in a Smartcar however much I'd like them to!! Our raspberry canes are new this year so are only producing a few fruit however I look forward to later years when they and the various bushes get properly established.

This weeks rundown

Monday - Chicken with walnuts and apricots -a recipe in my recipe box I've never tried but liked enough to copy from somewhere at some point.

Tuesday - Beef Stirfry (eat early as I need to have bloodtests the next day which are one you have to fast for. Nothing serious just to check my iron and so forth as I'm rather rundown)

Wednesday - Pork and pastasio terrine (another untried recipe)

Thursday - Tuna pasta bake

Friday - Home made fish and chips. (for those not in the UK fish and chips is a national dish normally bought at a fish and chip shop but the fish is battered so off limits unless made at home.)