Everything I’ve Been Making On Repeat Lately…
I finally wrote something after months of brain tumbleweed…A mix of weekly dinners, sweet treats, and family traditions…
For the past nine weeks, I've been using Planthood, a plant-based meal kit subscription service. They deliver chef-made mains, sauces, garnishes, fresh vegetables, and grains—everything you need for homemade meals—straight to your door, enabling easily completed meals at home. Every Monday, I receive five meals for the week. The meals are fresh and easy to prepare. Everything needed is included in the bag, allowing me to have dinner ready in just 5-20 minutes. No more dinner decision stress — This service has been a significant game changer for me — It's a fantastic low-effort solution that results in healthy and delicious meals.
As the Planthood subscription covers 5 days, that leaves the weekend to fend for ourselves. One day is usually left for a spontaneous meal out or a special treat, while the other is dedicated to our weekly tradition ‘pasta night’.
If you fancy trying Planthood for yourself, feel free to use my refer-a-friend link. You’ll save £15 off your first order and I’ll get £15 off my next order too 🙃
These are my current ‘on repeats’:
BANANA BREAD BAKED OAT BARS
I like to always have some kind of healthy~ish sweet treat on hand for when the sweet tooth crave kicks in, and these are ridiculously easy and quick to make. Everything gets thrown into one dish. Mixed together. Baked. And voilà! They’re ready! A week’s worth of breakfasts, snacks, and desserts to-go.
I make them at least once a week, often playing around with the ingredients - swapping choc chips for a swirl of nut butter or dark cocoa spread, or throwing in a handful of various dried fruits and nuts, and sprinkling toppings such as desiccated coconut and flaked almonds on top.
My favourite indulgence is serving a slice alongside a healthy dollop of the most luxurious Greek yogurt I can find. A generous spoonful of chocolate spread, or any nut/cashew/almond butter. I finish by topping with a handful of pomegranates, plus any other berries I have knocking about in the fridge.
I found the recipe here via @thefoodmedic
DELICIOUSLY ELLA CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
These are another emergency sweet treat I make once a week (sometimes more if sticky fingers keep stealing them from the cookie jar).
I have often been known to whip these up at all hours when the crave kicks in — they take less than 20 mins to prepare, bake, and eat — and can be made pretty much from store cupboard ingredients, so any time of day, you’re almost guaranteed to have everything you need.
They’re also the perfect on-the-go healthy sweet treat.
WEEKLY PASTA NIGHT
Nothing says comfort food like a big bowl of pasta ~ capable of soothing all moods within my family ~ It is our simple and effective culinary comfort blanket.
Among the many varieties, one holds a special place in our heart and home - Pasta Pomodoro (or variations of).
One of my favourite rituals is taking regular trips to my local indie food hall, and my favourite wholefood stores to gather ingredients. I rarely need a shopping list ~ these outings are like a treasure trove for my soul ~ I throw things into my basket guided by mood. Invariably drawn to the bougie pastas ~ a fancy spaghetti or orecchiette, and a jar of rich tomato-based sauce ~ usually tomato & basil, puttanesca, or roasted Italian vegetables. To compliment the sauce, I add a jar of premium cherry or plum tomatoes. And the finishing touch is always a good quality Italian Parmesan, and a freshly baked sourdough bloomer to mop it up with.
I recently saw a reel that struck a chord with me. It emphasized the importance of establishing weekly traditions to keep your children coming back home as they get older. While we have obvious celebrations like Christmas, birthdays, and other seasonal events, it's important to me that we share regular weekly traditions too, weaving them into the very fabric of our family. In our case, we have traditions like 'pasta night', 'fish & chip Fridays', and Sunday roasts (though not as often as I would like).
Making pasta is a labour of love. ‘Pasta night’ is more than just a meal. It's a tradition, a source of comfort, and a moment for our family to come together and share a simple and delicious meal. It's a testament to the power of food bringing us together, creating treasured memories, and a love for food and cooking that continues to grow.
Do you have a weekly family tradition? What is it?
DELICIOUSLY ELLA ONE PAN TOMATO & GNOCCHI BAKE
For a long time I believed I wasn’t much of a fan of gnocchi, it turns out, I just wasn’t eating it right. Baked gnocchi is how it should be done. It gives a crispy chewiness that I love! This dish is wholesome and so rich in flavour, it’s jam packed with goodness, and I love having leftovers for lunch the next day drizzled with lashings of extra virgin olive oil, and a crack of black pepper.
I had planned to include the quick and easy lunches I’ve been having on repeat, but Substack is flagging that I’m close to reaching the email limit before it becomes truncated. So instead, I’ll take that as my sign to end here, and follow up with a part two next week.✌🏽
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“Some foods are so comforting, so nourishing of body and soul, that to eat them is to be home again after a long journey”
~ Eli Brown, Cinnamon and Gunpowder
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Until next time…
With love & energy,
LXO
🤤🤤🤤