Well the kitchen is back up and running and I must say I have really missed it. Not only could I not bake anything for the last 10 days or so but we decided to go camping just to get away from the mess and give us all a break. I can’t wait to get back to baking. However, going away with four children and a husband, who is struggling with a sore leg, has not been an easy task and it became quite a military operation. I had to be totally organised from:-
- what I needed to pack
- where we could stay in order to get clothes washed and dried to reuse them
- what shopping to buy and have it delivered to the campsite just to save some space in the car
- to making sure that we did not have too much to take with us when we left
- repacking the car so that what we needed at the next stop was within easy reach and so on.
Our menu for the week consisted of quite basic meals :-
- Pasta with Tomato Sauce and Cheese for the first night as we all had to help put the tent up and wait for the food to be delivered so I wanted something quick and easy.
- Beef burgers in Buns with Chips from the on site chip shop as my children do enjoy a BBQ when on holiday. I didn’t want to keep the burgers for too long in the cool box as we didn’t have an electric cool box due to lack of space in the car.
- a meal out to give me a break and we did have a whole day out and about.
- Panini Pizzas topped with tomato puree and cheese cooked on the BBQ, as we had these last year and they worked well. This year we shared our BBQ with a neighbouring tent and it was a nice end to the holiday. 🙂
- Marshmallow & Chocolate Cones which we warmed through on the BBQ as a special dessert
I didn’t take any photos of what we made for our meals whilst camping as the family devoured whatever was made as soon as it was put down in front of them. They were so hungry – it must have been all the sea air rather than the amount of walks we went on as we didn’t walk too far due to my husband’s sore leg – muscular apparently but it is taking so long to repair itself – he is definitely missing his running every day as I can see him looking longingly at other runners that we pass on our journeys. 🙁
I planned every meal so that by the end of the holiday not a scrap of food was left. It worked very well but being that organised, having to do all the driving, keeping everyone happy and ensuring my husband was okay has taken its toll on me. I now need a holiday to get over the holiday we have just had as I am exhausted but I know I can’t rest for too long – even though my husband is saying “take it easy”.
I have come home to a washing basket full of washing that I didn’t manage to get done before we went away, a kitchen that needs a thorough clean before I even begin creating and baking in it as I want to make sure all the dust is removed. Also, I have written down so many ideas whilst sitting in the sunshine enjoying a cuppa and watching the children play. I want to get these ideas tried and tested on the family then written down in my blog before I start having sleepless nights again.
As well as, all of the above the school run starts again next week so I need to get all the uniform sorted this next few days before I run out of time. Also, I have a daughter who is starting Year 6 and she has so much holiday homework to get through – as she didn’t tell me at the beginning of the summer so now we are playing catch up with that too. 🙁
So a quick holiday and now I am back to the madness of my house and raring to get going again on my blogging, shop and writing another recipe book. Tomorrow, I am planning on baking a trial with some sugar free ideas that I want to try – Lemon and Coconut Cookies (reduced sugar) and some sugar free Blondies made with maple syrup?? Hoping these bakes work out well and then I can add them to my webshop and the Treat Boxes.