Saturday 16th to Friday 22nd October

Our Finnish visitor is still with us and has promised to cook one night, but pinning her down is proving difficult, teenagers lead a hectic life. Time was running out, but she agreed to Sunday night, all was going well until she and my daughter announced that they needed to be at the cinema before the meal was ready. So my husband, youngest daughter and I were left with a hastily put together Makaronilaatiko (macaroni stew). On serving this dish the essential ingredient is tomato sauce. It is an absolute standard in all Finnish schools, where all children in full-time education are provided with a free hot meal every lunch-time. Finnish adults have a soft spot for it too. Whilst learning Finnish I had to complete a 4 week work placement and I chose to do it at the G Bar in the kitchen. Whenever makaronilatikko appeared on the lunch menu the bar was packed and there was none left at the end of the day.
Saturday was a busy day as we had friends for lunch including a family from Spain. I decided that soup was the best option as there would be 14 of us altogether. I made tomato soup for the children and an Iranian soup for the adults, my husband made white rolls and brown rolls. I love both these soups, but when I cook under pressure my dishes always seem to lose something or I forget something important. I wish had roasted the tomatoes for the soup, but I didn't think of it until afterwards and my Iranian soup didn't have the zing that it had when I first made it. However, the caramel cake that I made was a resounding success. One of the husbands had to be physically restrained from eating the whole thing and the children kept picking the crushed Daim bars from the top every time they passed the table. There was one slice left, which my husband ate for breakfast the next day. So healthy!

Saturday: Lunch: Tomato Soup and Iranian Minestrone Soup, Homemade Rolls, Caramel Cake
Dinner: on strike after a full-on lunch so only leftovers on offer!

Sunday: Makaronilaatikko

Monday: Chicken Wraps with Fried Peppers and Onions, Guacamole and Tortillas

Tuesday: Hotdogs - suasages and par-baked baguettes, lots of onions and some salad

Wednesday: Tomato and Bean Soup with rolls

Thursday: Soup again (there was lots left and we had had a hectic couple of days)

Friday: Spicy Tomato Pasta,Baked Garlic Wraps and salad

Saturday 9th to Friday 15th October

This week we've got one extra, my daughter's best friend from Finland, so that means extra baking and a Sunday Roast. I love having people to stay and this is our first visitor from Finland for a long time. We lived there 4 years ago, in fact our 4 year anniversary of moving to Ireland is coming up soon. Our visitor came loaded with Finnish chocolate, the best! She was mobbed on unpacking her suitcase. She also brought riisipiirakka (rice cakes) a speciality of the area in Finland where she comes from. They are delicious eaten with smoked salmon or hard-boiled eggs. I have attempted to make them a couple of times, but they are a nightmare. I will try again soon for this blog and photograph it to show how difficult it is. She also brought Finnish vodka and an Estonian coffee liqueur, yum. Cold winter evenings by the fire will be brightened up no end with those.

So here is this weeks' menu and I have actually kept receipts, which I will add.

• Saturday: Lunch: leftover fishcakes, food from the cupboard/fridge
• Dinner: Chilli Spaghetti with salad and garlic baked wraps
• Sunday: Lunch: Leftover pasta
• Dinner: Roast Chicken, steamed leeks, mashed swede, roast potatoes and parsnips and rice pudding (made in the slow cooker) with stewed plums and vanilla
• Monday: Leftover vegetarian curry from last week and chicken curry, samosas (frozen, bought from an ethnic shop), basmati rice and poppadoms.
• Tuesday: Leek, Potato and Carrot bake (Frugal Cooking - Delia Smith)
• Wednesday: Pork Meatballs with tomato sauce, pasta and cabbage. (improvised)
• Thursday: Baked Potatoes with garlic mushrooms and leek and bacon creamy sauce.
• Friday: Homemade Pizza.

Also spelt buns, chocolate brownies and banana loaf.

Menu and shopping list Saturday 2nd Oct - Friday 8th Oct

Friday evening is the time I sit down with a blank sheet of paper and try to plan for the week ahead. I always ask for contributions from everyone, sometimes they actually give quite helpful ideas, but generally the running joke is to suggest curry. As a family curry of all sorts is always well received, but not every week.

For the next 3 weeks I am doing my shopping at Dunnes as they will give 30€ in vouchers in time for the Christmas shopping if you spend 300€ during October. A 10% return, not bad. I have to admit that I am a Tesco girl, not because I believe that they are the best but due to their reward scheme. Every summer I go home to England on the ferry and the clubcard points that I collect virtually pay for that crossing. A pretty good incentive.

This Saturday I don't need to worry about dinner as two of the family are out and the rest of us have been invited to a friend's to watch X Factor and have a take-away. This is as exciting as my life gets!

Menu:

• Sunday : Vegetable Curry for a Crowd (BBC Good Food Magazine October)
• Monday: Roasted Sweetpotato, Butternut Squash and Pepper Soup (improvised)
• Tuesday: Macaroni Cheese with Leeks (The Student Cook Book - guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/student-cooking)
• Wednesday: Sausage and Bean One-pot (BBC Good Food Magazine October)
• Thursday: Chicken and Leek Pies (BBC Good Food Magazine October)
• Friday: Fishcakes with Spinach, a chilli, lemon, garlic and lemon dip (improvised)

Outside of the main menu I bake most of the week. My husband bakes bread and I make rolls for school lunches. I will add our most used baking recipes for cakes and bread later.