LONDON MUMMA



This 15 minute Pesto Pasta, is tasty, comforting and super simple to make and it is a perfect week night dish.

With normality set back in with the kids back at school, after school clubs all booked up and the nights getting darker earlier, the last thing you want to do is slave as soon as you get home in the kitchen after a long day at work.

I find prepping our meals weekly massively helps, if you can get a head start on yourself, then why not. I made my scrumptious pesto sauce yesterday, Sundays are perfect for getting a jump start on things I also use my Saturdays to make a meal plan for the week ahead, so by 11am on a Sunday I’m armed with my shopping list and I know exactly what I need when whizzing around, so I am in and out and I know exactly what I am spending as it is vital in this current market with the cost of living.

For Leanora and I there is nothing better than a big bowl of pasta, especially one that is garlicky and saucy, plus enough left over to pack for lunch the next day and slightly kissed with a sprinkle of chilli to add a little heat element, well in mine anyways.

It is pretty simple to make, especially as I’ve already made my pesto ahead of time, all I now need to do is boil on some water, pick out our pasta of choice, for this one I’ve chosen normal spaghetti, but it works great with mafalda or fusilli pasta as all that sauce gets right in to those grooves.

It’s not a super creative dish, but it sure is a damn delicious one that takes no time to rustle up and it is family favourite and a great warming winter dish and sometimes the simplest dishes are always the best.

And oh so good!



Ingredients

Pesto sauce

Pasta

Parmesan


Instructions

1. Heat a large pot of salted water and bring to a boil, once bubbling cook your pasta according to package instructions. Reserve 1/2 a cup of boiling salted water and drain pasta.


2. Place drained pasta back in to the pot, and add in your pesto sauce and some of the reserved pasta water to loosen things up to your liking. Once combined, serve up and tuck in.

Extra tip

Too add a little freshness, why not squeeze a little lemon over it and bigger bonus, grate some more extra parmesan and sprinkle a little chilli for a little heat. Enjoy!


For a another version of this, why not try my Kale Pesto Pasta? Let me know what you think in the comments below or share with me over on Instagram and use #LondonMummaEats









Last week, I was stuck for ideas on what to do with Leanora, I felt us both going a little stir crazy in the house and out of luck on day trips and two females out on ideas on what to do is not a good idea, , especially in my home!

'So Lindsey, whats the plan babe' Said Leanora, I was totally perplexed and some what confused, had she lost her damn mind I thought!

Yup, she has...... 

This called for operation lets think out side the box, think of something creative to do and plan something different and get out of this house before we both completely lose the plot and survive this we must.

If you have ever been here before, do not worry I've found some great activities to do and explore with your child, which I have listed below for you and on that note, may the force be with. 

1. Get Creative For World Book Day
The perfect activity which if your like me will take you all day. This Thursday 2nd March is 'World Book Day'  and Leanora has decided on an Alice In Wonderland Costume. Im no seassmstress but I am Wizard with a glue gun. This creative project in designing something together is fun and can be silly and allows your child to use their imgination.

2. Ready, Steady, Bake!
If you have children old enoguh to help out in the kitchen, bake some tasty treats suchas our favourtie Lemon and Pistachio Cake, to help prepping for dinner and make a scurmptious pesto sauce for big bowl of pesto pasta. 

3. Eat Out At A New Restaurant 
We love finding new places to eat and recently Leanora has got massively into burger's, I heard about a new place recently opened in Shoreditch the Fat Hippo and booked us in.

4. Don't Stay Local
Wrap and get out, go explore different neighbour hoods. A Change of scenncery does wonders for the mind, make it a little treaasure hunt and dine out a new place, visit new parks and see if you can find some cool street art. 

5. Put on A Show
Make some fond memories and and put on a show. You can put on a fashion show on and get dressed up and make your home your own runway, or why not get creative and put on a fun play and get all the family involved and tun that boring evening in to a fun one.


Love 

London Mumma

I would love to hear your recoommendations in the comments below! Don''t forget to follow me over on our Instagram page @lindseylondonmumma and you can tag us too  #londonmumma


 


It's that time of the year and I am so exicted, the moment the Christmas adverts come out you know the store will be stocked and certainly not for long on cute matching family pyjama sets. There are so many amazing variety of designs out there, from your check prints, bold reds, a touch of sparkle to festive chrisatmas trees, and your cheeky slogans and those filed with loads of elves Yule be sorry to not of got in to this cosy co-ordinatedf trend.


A few years ago, I decided to start a new family Christmas tradition for me and Leanora, Milo too and that for me is what Christmas is about, creating your own family tradition, plus it is a great for fond family memories and we even get our grandad, aunts and cousins involved too which always make for the perfect family crimbo picture. 

To help find you and your family some cute matching family PJ's for you and your loved one's, I've scoured the lovely web and and stores and rounded up some firm favourites, but I suggest being quick and nab them as soon as possible as they are alwys guaranteed to sell out quick and go treat yo'elf.

I know times are hard, so do not worry I've shared some great ones at every price point, unfortunately I could not link any of Primar's but be sure to head to their stores to find some very affordable PJ's and another of our favourites is ASDA too, I've already had a sneak peak and they are great. 

And don't forget if you are looking for some festive Christmas homeware items, make sure to check back in the week as this will be a big one and one i'm most excited about sharing. I know we are still only 11 days in to November but I am keen as punch to start decorating the home and we've already picked out a theme, A Snowy Christmas.

Now, I'll stop with all the Christmas puns and let's get shopping you snow the drill!!

Don't forget you can keep upto date with what we are doing this festive period over on Instagram and on TikTok too.


Lindsey


Nothing quite says comfort like Cottage Pie. This recipe is simple and extremely tasty. 

With the colder nights and heating on, there is no dish better to have to warm up your cockles like a big warming bowl of cheesy cottage pie and last week, I got up a little earlier than usual and made this ahead for our dinner, so all I really needed to do after a long day at work, following afterschool club activities I knew that Leanora and I were going to want a heart warming meal the minute we got home. 

I made enough of this scrumptious cottage pie, to bring with me to work the next day and prepped the remaining half for dad too!! Scoring brownie points with dad, my birthday is coming up soon and I've got my eye on a few things, no matter how old I am you always gonna want a pressie from your parents lol! Nothing quite like cheesy meaty bribery an I right ha!



Ingredients 

500 grams of beef mince

1 large onion 

2 tbsp tomato purée

1 tbsp plain flour

150ml/5fl oz red wine

4 sprigs fresh thyme

300ml/14fl oz beef stock

100 grams of grated cheddar cheese 

Worcestershire sauce, to taste

salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 potatoes

115g/4oz butter

125ml/4½fl oz milk


Directions 

Heat some oil in a large heavy-based pan. Add the onion and cook until softened. Once cooked set aside on a plate.

Return the pan to the heat and add the mince and cook until browned all over. Stir in the cooked onion and add the tomato purée and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the flour and cook for a further minute. Pour in the red wine, scraping up any caramelised bits with a wooden spoon, and add the fresh thyme.

Add the stock and simmer for 45 minutes. Season to taste, and add a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce and mix until combined and then take off the heat and pour in your cooked mince in to your oven proof pie dish and set aside to cool. 

Preheat the grill to high.

Meanwhile, for the mash, put the potatoes in a pan of salted water and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 12–15 minutes, or until they are tender. Drain and return the potatoes to the pan, then place over the heat for about 1 minute to drive off any excess moisture. Mash well, then add the butter and milk, beating to form a smooth mash. Season to taste.

Spoon the mash over the top. Grill for 8–10 minutes, or until golden-brown.

No how easy was that!  This dish, guaranteed will certainly warm up the coldest of hearts on the chilliest of nights


Don’t forget to follow for more tasty eats over on Instagram or by using the #LondonMummaEats tag, to show me what  you are eating and made! And for more fun things to do check out our TikTok page! 


Lindsey 


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