So far July has been an interesting month for me as a food blogger. For the first time, I’ve stepped up into the exciting world of hosting blog challenges. It is so lovely to see such a wide range of dishes being entered and getting to meet a whole host of new food bloggers.

Food writer and blogger supremo Karen Burns-Booth from Lavender & Lovage kindly let me loose on her popular Herbs on Saturday challenge this month. Herbs on Saturday is a lovely way for bloggers to share their dishes that celebrate cooking with herbs and we’ve received lots of wonderfully tempting recipes.

My second blog challenge hopes to raise awareness of a fantastic family cookbook produced by a charity called TACT, which is the UK’s largest fostering and adoption charity. I’ve worked with the Bristol and South West branch of TACT for the last four years or so, and I am constantly amazed and inspired by the incredible support they provide to many of our most vulnerable children and young people.

The Care to Cook recipe challenge is calling on people to submit their recipes for food they’d cook to welcome someone into their family. We’ve only had a handful of entries so far, but I’m hoping the prize of a copy of the Care to Cook recipe book signed by TV chef Lorraine Pascale (who happens to be TACT’s celebrity patron) might encourage a few more. If you have not entered yet, please do! The closing date is 12 August.

In the kitchen, it’s been rather exciting too. Writing this food blog has pushed me to be so much more creative and adventurous as a cook. And luckily most of my experiments seem to be working out well and the family is enjoying the food. Of course, there are plenty of safe, easy, every day meals in the mix, as you’ll see from the meal plans below. As a mum and a freelancer, I just don’t have time to spend hours in the kitchen every day. But when I can, I do like to have a go at something a little bit different.

Recent successes include…

As well as some tasty food, I’ve had two other reasons to make me smile recently. The first was when one of the other mums at school came up to me to tell me she’d cooked my chicken and noodle salad after seeing it on the blog, and how much she’d enjoyed it. It’s always lovely to receive positive comments on the blog, but it’s something very special to have someone tell you in person they like your food. That really made my day that did.

And then the other thing that made me chuckle lots was when my daughter Jessie insisted on photographing her dinner plate before she would start eating! She’s just begun work on her very own blog Jessie’s Art and she plans on putting her photo up there sometime soon. Like mother, like daughter it seems.

In case you need any ideas, here are my meal plans for the last few weeks…

Monday 25 June
Lunch: pasta salad
Dinner: stir-fried Swiss chard with ginger and noodles

Tuesday 26 June
Lunch: ham salad rolls
Dinner: lamb casserole (F)

Wednesday 27 June
Lunch: rice salad with broad beans
Dinner: ham, egg and chips

Thursday 28 June
Lunch: tuna mayonnaise rolls
Dinner: salad wraps and homemade hummus

Friday 29 June
Lunch:  garlic mushrooms and salad
Dinner: chicken noodle salad with mint and coriander

Saturday 30 June
Lunch: aubergine dip, hummus, pitta bread, olives and salad
Dinner: fish cakes, new potatoes and vegetables

Sunday 1 July
Lunch: Caribbean pot roast chicken 
Dinner: bread and cheese

Monday 2 July
Lunch: beans on toast
Dinner: cheese and onion quiche, new potatoes and salad

Tuesday 3 July
Lunch: cheese and chutney rolls
Dinner: noodle soup with dumplings

Wednesday 4 July
Lunch: ham salad rolls
Dinner: spaghetti Bolognese

Thursday 5 July
Lunch: hummus salad rolls
Dinner: ratatouille and pasta

Friday 6 July
Lunch: rice salad with grilled chicken and artichoke hearts
Dinner: bangers and mash

Saturday 7 July
Lunch: roast duck with rhubarb compote, rice, broad bean and parsley salad
Dinner: bread and cheese

Sunday 8 July
Lunch: butternut squash soup
Dinner: Chinese chicken and rice

Monday 9 July
Lunch: Marmite and cucumber rolls
Dinner: egg fried rice with courgette and peppers

Tuesday 10 July
Lunch: garlic mushrooms and salad
Dinner: warm new potato and sausage salad

Wednesday 11 July
Lunch: potato and sausage salad
Dinner: bean casserole

Thursday 12 July
Lunch: pasta salad
Dinner: butternut squash and bacon chowder

Friday 13 July
Lunch: courgette, carrot and cheese scones
Dinner: pasta with bacon and tomato sauce

Saturday 14 July
Lunch: sausage and cabbage bake
Dinner: bread and cheese

Sunday 15 July
Lunch: pork escalopes in balsamic vinegar, new potatoes, beetroot and nectarine salad
Dinner: salad wraps

F = from freezer