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.