Top 10 Tuesdays: books I can't believe I read

Another week, another Top 10 Tuesday list to ponder over! This week's topic is Books I Can't Believe I Read. The Artsy Reader Girl suggests that these could be books that take you out of your comfort zone; guilty pleasures you wouldn't usually want people to know you read (Ahem..Twilight); a genre you hate or age group you don't normally read or maybe something you were forced to read at School or Uni.

Like last week, I really found this list hard to curate! I don't have a very good brain for re-calling things I've read or done, so it was a nightmare! Thank God for Goodreads as it made it that bit easier! 

So here are my picks and why I chose them -

1. The Examined Life by Stephen grosz
Just before reading this I'd been through a bit of a rough patch. I bought it whilst on a little break in Cornwall with my Sister and didn't think I'd end up reading it due to triggers and reminders, however I did, and i'm glad. Worth a read if you're going through a struggle right now.

2. Twilight by Stephanie Meyer
I read this a few years after the hype because i'm always like that. I can't read/watch things that are too hyped! I obviously didn't want anyone to know I was reading it but omg I'm so glad I did. Not ashamed to admit it now that I liked it and the whole franchise that came with it! 

3. Noughts and crosses by Malorie Blackman
Another one that was too hyped and ended up really enjoying! I'm putting it in this category because at the time I really didn't think I'd like it. I must have forced myself one day. Happy I did. 

4. Good Night Mr Tom by Michelle Magorian
Including this because after watching the film, which can I just say, is so sad, I can't believe I actually read the book too! I think I was a little obsessed with it at the time. It was such a good book and film that i'm going to re-watch it again soon.

5. In Patagonia by Bruce Chatwin
This classic was recommended to me by my Father in Law, and since I love travel and adventure, I thought it sounded interesting. But oh gosh, it was literally the hardest book I have ever read. I forced my way through and can't believe I came out the other end having finished it. Don't ask me what happened because I don't know!

6. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
I really didn't think this was book going to be very good. Again, VERY hyped but also a lot of mixed reviews. I gave it ago and liked it but not as much as Twilight haha (I see both of them in the same embarassing category).

7. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Schaffer
I bought this book in a charity shop and absolutely intended to read it at the time. However, as days, weeks, months, years went by, I still hadn't read it. I felt guilty every time I looked at it and actually thought I'd never read it. You know, those kinds of books? Eventually I sat down and read and wished I had sooner! 

8. Holes by Louis Sachar
We had to read this book in school and at first thought it was really boring. I think most people didn't truly read it but actually, a few chapters in and I started to enjoy it! I then went on to watch the film and super glad I did because it's really good and quite funny.

9.  The life changing magic of tidying up by Marie Kondo
I edged away from this book at first because I just thought it was going to be a fad, or something not really worth reading. I mean, i'm organised right? Apparently not, according to Marie Kondo! She is on another level!! I downloaded it on my Kindle and read it so quickly, it was so interesting. 

10. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte 
It's just one of those classics that I initially thought would be hard to read. It really wasn't and I actually got fully engrossed. I would actually read it again if I came across a copy. No idea where mine has got to! 

Do you have any books you can't believe you read? Let me know in the comments!

Weekly Meal Plan | Asian Flavours

Gosh, is that another week over already?! How crazy quick has this week been and gone? 

So about what I ate from last week's meal plan. You'll remember that I went a bit slow cooker crazy. The vegan slow cooker tikka masala was amazing; perfectly creamy and not too spicy. And healthy too! 

The pan-seared salmon with spinach and beans was just what I needed on Friday night. Fabio unfortunately missed his portion as he had a school event to attend to. He ate the leftovers yesterday and it still tasted as good as the first time round.

The warm lamb and halloumi rice salad was literally THE BEST thing we ate all week. I definitely recommend you ALL go over to my previous meal plan (above) to check it out. Honestly, the lamb was so succulent but mixed with honey, harissa and roasted veggies, it was a dream. Will be making it again for sure. 

The slow cooker and pork mustard stew was really yummy too. A certain mid-week meal hit! 

And lastly, the 4-hour slow-cooker chicken was an interesting way to cook a chicken. I think i still prefer roasting, as it doesn't take as long but I loved the experiment! And the chicken was very succulent, so still a win. 

Here are the meals i've collected from my fellow foodie bloggers this week. 

If you're new, I'll just explain. I decided that as I see so many delicious recipes each week popping up, I thought i'd give them ago myself and take the meal-planning load off myself. Hopefully I can take the meal-planning off you further with my compiled meal plan below. Happy eating without stress!

This week there's a bit of an Asian theme, except 1 obviously American recipe. 

Monday 

Last year I visited Philadelphia, and what an amazing city it is. I was only there for a day on transit and was staying in the Hilton near the airport. I was feeling a bit sick and didn't really want to go down to the restaurant so decided to order some room-service. When I saw the famous Philly Cheesesteak on the menu, I HAD to give it a try. It was delicious: melt-in-the-mouth beef with melt-y cheese served in a roll. It sure did cheer me up! I've decided to re-create this memory with the Philly Cheesesteak from Crock Pot . I'm hoping it will be as good!

Tuesday 

Stepping into Middle Eastern territory now. My Husband and I love the Middle East and have visited many times (he was born there). When I saw the Baked Falafel from Recipes Made Easy,  they had to make it into my meal plan. They look super quick and easy for a mid-week meal, and i'm sure any leftovers (if we can spare any!) will be eaten for lunch the next day. 

Wednesday

Moving over to India, a country I'm dying to visit. This Aloo Methi (a potato dish with spices and tomato) from Simple Gluten Free Kitchen includes all the flavours I crave in a meal and also used the unusual ingredient of Fenugreek. I managed to find it on Ocado, which was lucky! I just need to buy or make some chapatis to serve it with! 

Thursday

And then back to the Middle East (feeling tired now haha), I thought  this Aromatic Lamb and Warm Grain salad from A Mummy Too looked super yummy and another great mid-week meal choice. I love lamb, and totally fell in love with the lamb recipe last week, so i'm sure this will be an instant hit. It's also really healthy as it includes quinoa and bulgar wheat. It could easily be turned vegan too!

Friday 

No plans as of yet. This is also Fabio's meal slot but he hasn't communicated his decision to me yet!! Sorry haha. If you head on over to Hijacked by Twins, you'll find plenty of choice in the Meal Planning Monday linky. 

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Do you find these meal plans useful? Do you make a meal plan? 

Trying by Emily Philips | BOOK REVIEW

A story told with humour about the realities of trying for a baby in the 21st Century. I literally couldn't put it down! 

Quick plot run-down (no spoilers) - 

The story is about Felix and Olivia, two 30-somethings who make the conscious decision to try for a baby. Little do they know how much they want said baby until they start having difficulties. This book shows how they trundle through life, balancing work commitments and trying everything under the sun to conceive, whilst everyone around them is popping out babies like it's no tomorrow. Olivia and Felix just want their happily ever after, but then Olivia runs the risk of destroying everything, whilst Felix no longer seems the same person Olivia met at the beginning. 

I really, really enjoyed this book. Emily Philips writes in such a way that had me staying up late just to know what happens next. Apart from the baby-related chat, I could relate to some many things, especially when she speaks about her family (her Mum calling every hour etc). Her family are typically British and if you're British too, she'll have you stitches throughout the book. So many relatable moments!

I like the fact that the text is broken up into short chapters but also includes extra text, such as text messages and emails. It makes for easier reading.

Emily also writes in quite a graphic, honest way, which I expect most people who have been in her situation, will nod in agreement until their heads fall off! 

I definitely recommend this book to anyone who has or is currently trying for a baby, or anyone who enjoys a good laugh! 

Trying by Emily Philips, published by Hoddor & Stoughton, is available now. You can buy a hardcover edition on Amazon* for £10.49.

*this is an affiliate link, meaning I will receive a small profit if you purchase from it

*I received this book from Hoddor & Stoughton via Netgalley. All reviews by me are honest and unbiased.

What do you think about this new title? Would you buy it for yourself or a friend?

Top Ten Tuesday: top ten books I liked but can't remember

Every Tuesday I've decided to take part in The Artsy Reader Girl's Top Ten Tuesday linky. If you're obsessed with books like I am, check it out! Every week is a different theme, and by looking at the title you can see that this week is about those top ten books you liked but can't remember. If you're anything like me, that's nearly every book I like; my memory is so bad!

So without anymore waffle, here's my list!

1. Golden Compass by Philip Pullman

I read this such a long time ago, so it's only natural that i've forgot about it. I never really got into the His Dark Materials series. Maybe i'll go back to it one day.

2. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

I had to read this one at college for English lit A Level, so that's probably why I've forgotten it! I do remember slowly getting into it after a while, so I must have liked it.

3. Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger

Such a classic! I really enjoyed this rather unusual title, but don't ask me what happened because I simply can't remember! I remember the plot being really strange... correct me if i'm wrong?

4. Lord of the Flies by William Golding

I think we read this in school again, as you can imagine most kids do. I know it's a classic but I don't think I truly enjoyed it at the time. I think I found it interesting though. I reckon I would like it better now that I'm older.

5. Black Beauty by Anna Sewell

I think my Dad gave me a copy of this when I was really little. I don't know why and I don't really remember reading it, all I know is I definitely did! 

6. James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl

I'm a huge Roald Dahl fan.. well I was when I was younger. I can't say i've read many of his books recently but i'd love to give them all another go when I finally have kids.

7. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon

I loved this book so much!! SO much so that I can't really remember the plot! It doesn't mean I didn't like it though. In my defence, it was a long time ago.

8. Little Prince by Antoine De Saint-Exupery

I don't think I'll ever forget how CUTE this book is. Just look at it! Shame I can't remember what happened it in...I'd love to read it in French. Might need to learn French first though!

9. Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

Another one read for English Literature A Level. We were focusing on poems by Sylvia Plath and were also told to read this. Despite the sad moments, I enjoyed it. A title that everyone should read once.

10. We need to talk about Kevin by Lionel Shriver

I remember at the time (when I was about 17), picking this book up and not really knowing what to expect. I don't really remember what happened but all I know is that I really got drawn in to it and couldn't put it down! I might have to read it again. 

Which titles did you love but can't remember? What do you think about my top ten picks?

Weekly Meal Plan | Slow Cooker Madness

And here we are, another week of meal planning! Last week's meals went well, apart from towards the end. 

The Chinese pork balls in a tropical sauce were super yummy. Fabio, and also my parents really enjoyed them. 

The Mac and Cheese Fabio made was really scrummy - the boy did good! We also had lots of leftovers which was a bonus!

The Sea bass was a nice change but as we only had it with veg, we could have done with something else. We didn't starve though (we never do in this house!) We just ate some snack-y bits after!

The Deliciously Ella roast veg chickpea stew was a scrummy as ever, and I think I must of had nearly 3 portions! However I do think I'm allergic to tomato, as my neck felt itchy afterwards I was all wheezy. It happened again the next day when I ate some of the leftovers. NOT GOOD!! I'll keep an eye on it.

We didn't end up having the vegan slow cooker chickpea tikka masala stew as I forgot to soak the chickpeas! Silly me. We ended up having  an Indian takeaway instead since was a Friday. 

On Saturday we bought ourselves a new slow cooker as our Pro-line one was pretty cheap and had weird mould growing inside it. I did clean it but it was also tad rusty, and in Asda they had a Morphy Richards Sear and Stew one for £20, on sale! Bargain! I'll let you know how I got on with it in my next weekly meal plan.

So this week's meals I've collected from my fellow foodie bloggers. I decided that, since I see so many delicious recipes when I go to link-up my recipes on other websites, I thought why not try some each week? This week, bar 2, there's a particularly slow-cookerish theme!

Monday

Finally going to have the vegan slow cooker chickpea tikka masala from The Kitchn.

Tuesday

I'm going to give Jacqueline Bellefontaine's Pan Seared Salmon with Spinach and Beans from Recipes Made Easy, ago. It looks like the perfect mid-week meal. Fabio adores salmon fillets but also the Za'atar spice reminds of his childhood in the Middle East. Can't wait to try them. Oh also, I found the Za'atar spice in Asda; I was surprised they had it.

Wednesday

I love lamb, so I thought Easy Peasy Foodie's Warm Lamb and Halloumi Rice salad looked perfect. Also we're halloumi lovers in this household, so it's a winner winner. Eb uses butternut squash in the recipe, and I managed to find it pre-cut in Asda which I was joyous about! I reckon this recipe would be great in the summer too!

Thursday

I've got my dreaded driving test on Thursday, so i'll crack out the slow cooker again and make Curlys Cooking's Slow cooker Pork and Mustard Stew. Pork and mustard go so well together, so I can't wait to get these gorgeous flavours with minimal effort.

Friday

Since I'm just loving my slow cooker and will want to squeeze every penny's worth out of it, i'm going to make Brooklyn Farm Girl's 4 Hour Juicy Slow Cooker Whole Chicken, and i'll use the leftover for sandwiches on the weekend with some avocado and thick, crusty bread.  Delish!

No plans for the weekend as of yet. Might be going out for a meal on Saturday night with Fabio's parents who are visiting from Italy. 

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Have you made a meal plan this week? Share them below and don't forget you can pin them to the Meal Planning Monday linky hosted by Hijacked by Twins.

Weekly Meal Plan (Tesco) | January 2018

I had such a good response the last time I did a meal plan post; It actually become one of my most viewed posts! 

Before following this meal plan, please read the following:

- I'm not a nutritional expert and this is NOT a diet plan
- All offers were available on January 14th 2018 (they might not be now)
- This shop was done at Tesco in Cheltenham
- I bought some extra bits such as beauty items and gifts
- I'm a food blogger therefore I bought ingredients for my recipes (outside of this meal plan)
- Any items I don't list a price next to means I already had them
- The total of the day's meals aren't completely accurate as you'll be able to use some of the ingredients again

Sub-total: £80.77
Reduced items due to expiry: 
Brand guarantee* savings: £1.30

Total to pay: £79.47

* This means that if the branded items could have been bought cheaper elsewhere, Tesco will take off the difference.

SCROLL DOWN FOR TESCO HAUL LINKED TO THIS MEAL PLAN & ROUGH PRICE OF ALL MEALS FOR TWO PEOPLE

WEEKLY MEAL PLAN FOR TWO

Please note: I also already had some ingredients at home, so this cut costs. However I did buy extra snacks and other non-food items which could be seen to make up for the price of these items. I will include the price in brackets of the items I bought in this shop.

Monday

BREAKFAST 

Cafe Latte (Lavazza coffee I already had. Milk we get from the milk man)

LUNCH 

Kale, Butternut Squash + Onion Bake (£2.50)

DINNER 

Chinese Pork Balls and Rice 
Recipe from my second blog >> Jess Eats and Travels

Ingredients

1kg of Pork Mince (I actually bought this at Morrisons as I forgot at Tesco! It cost £5.00)
Rock Salt 
Freshly ground pepper
50g of Breadcrumbs
3 tbsp of honey (£1.80)
1 tbsp of grated ginger
1 garlic clove (0.30p)
2 spring onions (0.55p)
1L of rapeseed oil
112g of cornflour (0.75p)
400ml of tropical juice (0.89p)
2 tbsp of Soy sauce (£2.69)
1 tsp of Frank's Red Hot Buffalo Sauce (£1.50)
5 tbsp of water

Thai jasmine rice (I used 3 cups) £2.00

Rough total meal cost: £15.48 - £7.74 per person (I had many of the ingredients) It has also covered two meals as I managed to freeze some of the balls.

Tuesday

BREAKFAST

Cafe Latte (Lavazza coffee I already had. Milk we get from the milk man)

LUNCH

Half of a baguette grilled (0.45p), tuna (£4.00 for a pack of 4) with chopped spring onion (0.55p), salt and pepper and a few baby spinach leaves (£1.50)

DINNER

Mac and Cheese (made by Fabio!)
Recipe from >> BBC GoodFood

Ingredients

50g of baguette (0.45p)
2 tbsp of butter
350g of short pasta
1 garlic clove (0.30p)
2 tsp English mustard powder
2 tbsp plain flour
500ml of whole milk (0.80p)
250g mature cheddar cheese (£1.16)
50g parmesan (£2.30)

Rough total meal cost: £5.01 - £2.50 per person (I had many of the ingredients) It did serve 3 though as I had the leftovers the following day.

Wednesday

BREAKFAST

Cafe Latte (Lavazza coffee I already had. Milk we get from the milk man)

LUNCH

Leftover Mac and Cheese from the night before.

DINNER

Sea Bass en papillote with steamed veg.
No recipe tonight - just ingredients thrown together! If you're wondering how to make it though, just wrap your fish in brown pepper, drizzle with olive oil, add a sprinkle of salt and freshly ground pepper - bake in a oven heated at 150 degrees for 15 minutes.

Sea Bass (this was found in the reduced section in Tesco the week before. I froze it).
Vegetable pack (£2.00)

Rough total meal cost: £2.00 - £1 per person (I already had many of the 
ingredients) 

Thursday

BREAKFAST

Cafe Latte (Lavazza coffee I already had. Milk we get from the milk man)

LUNCH

White muffin (already had these from a previous shop at Waitrose. They were reduced to 0.19p so I froze them) with tuna (£4.00 for pack of 4) and grated cheddar cheese (£1.16), grilled. 

DINNER

Roast Vegetable and Chickpea Stew
Recipe from >> Deliciously Ella

Ingredients

2 courgettes (0.69p)
1 aubergine (0.70p)
1 red onion (0.15p)
3 garlic gloves (0.30p)
400g can of chickpeas (0.50p)
2 400g of tinned tomatoes
2 tbsp of Tomato Puree (0.50p)
1 tbsp of honey (1.80)
Chilli flakes
Salt and pepper

Rough total meal cost: £4.64 - £2.32 per person (I already had many of the 
ingredients) 

Friday

BREAKFAST

Cafe Latte (Lavazza coffee I already had. Milk we get from the milk man)

LUNCH

White muffin (already had these from a previous shop at Waitrose. They were reduced to 0.19p so I froze them) with tuna (£4.00 for pack of 4) and grated cheddar cheese (£1.16), grilled. 

DINNER

Vegan Slow Cooker Chickpea Tikka Masala
Recipe from >> TheKitchn

Ingredients

1 pound of dried chickpeas 
2 tbsp of Coconut Oil (£3.00)
1 onion (0.09p)
4 garlic cloves (0.30p)
2 tbsp of fresh ginger 
1.5 tbsp mustard seeds (0.85p)
1 tsp ground turmeric (£1.50)
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground cardamon
1 can of coconut milk (0.75p)
2 tsp of kosher salt
1 can of tomatoes 
5 cups of baby spinach leaves (£1.50)
Basmati rice (i'm using thai jasmine instead - £2.00)
1 tsp of cumin seeds (£1.50)
Chilli flakes

Rough total meal cost: £11.59 - £5.74 per person (I already had many of the 
ingredients) 

Rough weekly total meal cost: 38.72

The receipt >>

EXTRA ITEMS

• Lurpak spread (£2.00)
• Camembert - for the weekend (£2.25)
• Cadbury's Tiffin - a gift (£2.00)
• Caster sugar - for baking (£1.60)
• Beef steak - Fabio made beef jerky (£3.14)
• Chicken wrap - Fabio's lunch (£2.45)
• Can of Ting - love this stuff (£0.38p)
• Peppercorns - we ran out of pepper £2.30)
• Vanilla pod - for baking (£2.50)
• Fresh double cream (£2.50)
• Dates x 2 - for baking (£4.00)
• Peanut butter (£2.00)
• Worcester sauce -for the jerky (0.85p)
• Onion granules - for the jerky (0.85p)
• Kale - going to make kale crisps (£1.00)
• vine tomatoes (£2.00)
• Deliciously Ella Chocolate oat bars (£2.00)
• Freederm spot cream - how glamorous (£6.50)

See my Tesco grocery haul below

Other weekly meal plans

Weekly Meal Plan Feb 20th 

Weekly Meal Plan Feb 26th

Quick and Easy Weekly Meal Plan (Under £65 from Tesco)

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My Anxiety Handbook | BOOK REVIEW

An easy-to-read handbook full of pictures and clear descriptions, aimed at young people who suffer with anxiety.

My Anxiety Handbook by Sue Knowles, Bridie Gallagher and Phoebe McEwen.

I loved this book. Okay not in that way because quite frankly, I wish we didn't need this books in the first place!

Aimed at young adults aged 12-18 and differing from all other YA books with mental health themes running through it, this one actually HELPS. And by saying that, I don't mean all the others don't help, I mean it's an actual guide to anxiety. For example, it includes chapters on:

- Understanding where my anxiety comes from

- Tackling worries

- School, college and exam stress

These are just a few but each one is written in a clear, friendly way. All the scientific bits are written in a way that any young person could understand. 

There's no negativity in this guide. It's all about doing what you got to do to get through the day. No-one is blamed (not even the parents); it's not the that type of book.

I think anyone who has suffered from anxiety, including adults, would find this book useful. It's the type of book you could easily dip in and out, using the chapters you need the most. That's how I read it actually. I usually don't do this but I skipped forward to the chapters I was interested in and then went back and read it properly, since I was reviewing it I thought i'd better!

I really wish there were books like this around when I was younger, as I'd loved to have had a copy, not only because I was a bit of a book worm but also because I think back then, Anxiety wasn't really known to kids. It was a word you'd only seen in medical books. 

Now it's a word you see all over the internet and that's GREAT! Any book promoting and helping overcome mental health problems is a good book in my eyes.

It will be available to buy from the 18th January 2018. If you're interested in giving this a read yourself or buying it for your child, check out Jessica Kingsley Publishers to grab a copy for £12.99.

Is this a book you would consider buying for your child? Let me know in the comments and we shall discuss! 

*I received this book from Jessica Kingsley Publishers via Netgalley. All reviews by myself are honest and unbiased.

Something Changed by Matthew Williams | BOOK REVIEW

We've all been there; we've all felt a little bit, what do they call it? Down in the dumps? But sometimes it's hard to realise when that 'down in the dumps' moment is a more serious issue. 

Mental Health has certainly become less of a taboo, with people opening up freely on their blogs and on Twitter, as well as celebrities and journalists talking about their own struggles. 

I was on Twitter one day, scrolling through, looking for blogger opportunities, when I noticed that Matthew Williams was offering bloggers the chance to review his book, Something Changed. When I saw what he had written about, I thought yes, this book needs recognition and I need to help spread the word. I know my little blog doesn't have a massive following but all it takes is one person to notice that you're not feeling ok; to ask you if you're alright in order to make a difference to your mental health, which hopefully leads you to then make the necessary steps to recovery. That's what this books does; it helps. It understands. If you're someone who has been depressed (me included) then you'll find this book like a comfort blanket; a little 'ahhhh yes' moment when you realise you're not alone. 

Matthew's book is split into what I want to say are like 'mini stories'. No chapter is longer than 4-5 pages; it's a great book to dip in and out of. You can also skip chapters if you're not interested in certain topics. Matthew talks a lot about his divorce and also his trials and tribulations with dating. Throughout the chapters Matthew has also included poems he has written. These poems are beautifully written, some of which can create quite an impact (in a good way!). I'm sure a lot of you will be able to relate to them!

I highly suggest you all go and check out Somethings Changed over on Amazon. I'll leave the link here*.

If you do happen to buy it (recommend you do!) please go and leave a link on the Amazon page. Matthew would highly appreciate it.

Have you read any books that help spread the word about mental health? I'd love to know your suggestions. 

*This link is an Affiliate link which means I'll receive a small profit if you buy from it. Every little helps!