Back to school with bangers

Blackberries and green beans from our own garden

September is closer to New Year in my mind. I have been invigorated by the summer sunshine or certainly the summer light but there is a change in the air. A few tiny leaves waft to the ground. It’s not warm in the morning. There is a tinge of golden appearing on the trees. The smells are damper, edged with decay.

I freaking LOVE Autumn. I am full of the joys of Autumn. I love the excessively bright days where skies seem crazy blue when contrasted to the oranges, yellows and browns of the trees. I love blackberry picking.

With all this joy I feel I should channel some energy back into my blog. Kicking it off with an easy one but I hope it will help you get organised for the first full week back at school. This week’s menu includes lots of comfort meals and also freezer meals. Hopefully it will make the transition easier while we get used to the new old routine. 

A couple of the recipes this week are doubled (or sometimes even tripled!) so I can put extra dinners in the freezer. I immediately add these to dates in our AnyList app so I don’t forget about them. They are always scaled to feed 6: the sixth dinner usually being lunch for Himself the next day.

As a reminder we have three children aged 14, 12 and 8. Two in primary and one just started Junior Cert year. 

Continue reading “Back to school with bangers”

Don’t tell Setanta

From the Ice Cream Ireland website: Skelligs Truffle Ice CreamWe have noticed that when we arrive at (the artists formerly known as Mum and Dad) Granny & Grandpa’s house now the youngest always says “Ice cream!” Mum always has a plentiful supply of lovely ice cream (although sadly for us Murphys it’s difficult to get Murphy’s in Dublin) blaming her local supermarket for a two plus one deal that forced her to buy six flavours. Grandparents are great. The eldest always reminds us that his Granny gives him a treat when he visits her. His favourite story at the moment is the one Grandpa told him last week about why dogs smell each others’ bums. A mention of a visit to them elicits joy and excitement and visions of a perfect Sunday Roast for Himself and myself. Our social life would be seriously lacking without them. But it’s not all a one-way street. Dad has learnt a lot since the eldest was born. Like how to change a nappy. I’m one of five. You do the math as they say in Amerikay.

Both of our boys loooove Ice Cream just like me and I recently happened upon Murphy’s website: Ice Cream Ireland » Recipes The lads have been experimenting with home-made lollipops in the recent warm weather. Maybe I should make some suggestions like Skelligs Truffle Ice Cream Oh God! I have to stop looking at that website! I’m drooling on my desk.