This week I am joined by Donna from What the Redhead said. As I read her answers, as I was putting this together, I found myself nodding along. I think we have a similar love of cooking and convenience (I love homemade freezer meals). I love the sound of some of the recipes she shared below so I’ll be trying those soon. Tell us a little bit about yourself and your family. I need to use my slow cooker more!
Tell us a little bit about yourself and your family
I’m a mum of two – Athena, aged 6 and Troy, aged 4. I’ve been a full time blogger for a year now and love being at home with the children. We live in Surrey, just outside London and are always busy – weekends and school holidays are always full of adventures.
Who does most of the cooking in your house? Do you enjoy cooking?
I absolutely love cooking and I do most of it. I love my slow cooker, especially recipes where you just throw it all in. As much as I love cooking, I love meals that are easy to make but taste great and that the whole family will enjoy.
Do you meal plan?
I used to meal plan religiously but got out of the routine a while ago but this year I have started meal planning again and really enjoy it – it makes busy family life so much easier.
What are mealtimes like in your house? Do you eat together as a family?
Up until a few months ago my husband worked shifts and so we would hardly ever eat together – but I would always make the effort to eat with the children. Now though he’s home every night for dinner and so we eat together every night. It’s a big part of the day and we all really enjoy talking about our day.
What are your favourite family meals to cook?
I love all the classics that we tend to cook in bulk and then freeze portions to save time at a later date. Things like bolognese, cottage pie or chilli – with homemade nachos! But, we also love hearty slow cooker meals like Poor Man’s Cassoulet or Chicken and Haricot Bean Stew.
Do you cook the same meals frequently or are you always trying new recipes?
I like to mix it up. I cook things I know the children will eat and enjoy but try to do at least one new recipe a week too so that we can have as much variety as possible.
Do you have any tips for dealing with fussy eaters?
The times when Athena and Troy are fussy we try and stick to things we know they’ll eat but add something different each time as well – so veg sticks on the side, a different type of potatoes etc to try and get them to at least try new things whilst having a meal I know they’ll enjoy.
Do you have a favourite cookbook?
Two cookbooks I have used religiously are the 200 Slow Cooker Recipes and 200 More Slow Cooker Recipes books. They are quite small but full of great recipes that work well.
Do you enjoy baking?
I absolutely love baking and bake with the children once a week after school. It’s usually something simple like cookies or cupcakes or I let Athena pick a recipe from a cookbook if we’ve planned it a little better!
Do you have any tips for making feeding the family easier?
I find being organised and having a good routine really helps. So we do a meal plan and have the food shop arrive on a Sunday evening ready for the week ahead. We let the children have input on what meals we’re cooking and we always have dinner at the same time each day.
Where can we find you?
I’m over at What the Redhead said and you can find me over on social media Twitter Facebook Instagram