Mega Meal Prep: Beef Ragu

Hellooo!

This Sunday, we turn to an old faithful: our beef ragu.

I don't even use a recipe for this one anymore - definitely one of my intuitive cooks, where I just kinda add whatever feels right.

This is such a rich beef dish, so good for a warm, hearty meal.

It actually interests me how Tara & I eat this one.

I see it as an Italian dish & serve with pasta, parmesan & garlic bread.

Tara eats hers with rice.

Works both ways & is so yummy!

This photo actually doesn't do the ragu justice - it is in the pot bottom left... which is a 16L pot.  That's not a normal size pot to have lying around the house hahaha.

Ragu | Serves 32… ish

Ingredients
4kg chuck steak, cut into cubes
Olive oil
Rosemary & thyme
4 brown onions
16 garlic cloves
8 carrots
6 celery sticks
1 bottle red wine
12 cans chopped tomatoes
1L beef stock
1 tsp salt & freshly ground black pepper

Method
Step one: heat oil in your large pot of choice.  Add in the onions & garlic.
Step two: add in the steak & brown
Step three: use the wine to deglaze the pan, then add in all other ingredients
Step four: bring to the boil, then reduce heat to the lowest option & leave to simmer for 8 - 12 hours (the longer the better).  Be sure to stir occasionally.

This is definitely a recipe to put on at the start of the day & leave to develop for as long as possible.  Which is actually a great tip for any rich. tomato based sauce :)

Which do you prefer for this recipe - pasta or rice?
Hx

Wedding Wednesdays: 9 Things To Remember For Your Intimate Wedding

Hellooo!

How are you going?

This week, let's talk about intimate weddings.

It is becoming increasingly popular to have an intimate wedding - this is typically defined as a small wedding with 1 or 2 dozen people in attendance.

To me, anything less than 50 people I would consider to be intimate.  I view 'intimate' as an event where you have plenty of time to spend quality time with each guest & still have time to sit down & eat & enjoy yourself.  What Mack & I are doing this year I would count as an intimate wedding.

But along with this trend of having a smaller wedding comes a whole lot of misconceptions of what an intimate wedding actually means & entails.  Here is a list of 9 things to remember/consider if you choose to go down the intimate wedding road.

1. It won’t necessarily be cheaper (although it does help!)
It stands to reason that a smaller wedding = lower costs.  It certainly does help the situation.  But what tends to happen, especially if the guest list is 20 or lower, is that the bride & groom splurge on the small guestlist with a really premium dining experience.  I love this idea, actually, but it won't help keep the costs down.  If you're going for an intimate wedding, keep costs in mind & don't assume it will always be cheaper.

2. Define the term ‘intimate’
What does the word intimate mean to you?  To me, it means a tight knit group of our nearest & dearest.  It means being super selective & super strict on the guestlist.  Whatever your definition is, make sure you define it at the beginning so that you know what you are aiming for (& budgeting for).

3. Don’t be afraid to say no your parents, family & random guests wanting to bring a plus one
This leads on from defining what intimate means to you.  If it means your nearest & dearest, then don't be afraid to say no to any & all plus ones who you have never met or don't know well.  Who cares if they have been married to one of your close friends for 10 years - they will survive one night without each other & they don't need to be at your wedding.  It's definitely a hard one, with all of the social norms surrounding weddings, but don't be afraid to stand your ground & break tradition & have a no plus ones wedding.

4. Just because its small doesn’t mean it isn’t special
You are still getting married - one of life's big moments!  You can do all of the normal things that wedding planning entails, just on a smaller scale.

5. A smaller wedding should be a little less formal than a large grand affair
The above said, generally intimate weddings are less formal than a huge wedding.  Make it special, but keep it relaxed, lovely & personal.  It might be weird to walk down the aisle of a church with 8 maids & huge dresses & a ballgown, with only 10 or 20 people there (maybe that would work for you, I don't know haha, but I think it might be excessive).

6. Go out there and find your perfect dress
Intimate or not, you can still go & have the experience of trying on wedding dresses & finding the perfect one for you.  Again, this is not any less special, just smaller.

7. You still need a seating chart!
Just because you don't have many people, doesn't mean you shouldn't determine where people sit.  People like it when you tell them where to go, so just do it!

8. The food is still important to the small guest list of people who are coming
A smaller guestlist might free up more funds to splurge on a really fancy dinner.  But if your budget doesn't allow that, you still need to feed your guests well.  There are lots of delicious budget options out there so search for one that suits you - some food trucks do really amazing catering options for those on a budget.

9. You will offend people
You are never going to please everyone & not everyone is going to agree with your smaller wedding choices.  Just remember it is your big day - no-one else opinion actually matters.

All of this is not to be confused with an elopement, which is usually last minute, minimal planning, minimal guests & most of these things don't apply (although an elopement is still super special!).

What about you?  Would you prefer a smaller intimate wedding, or a huge affair?

What draws you to follow the trend of an intimate wedding?
Hx

Mega Meal Prep: Tortellini Two Ways

Hellooo!

How are you guys doing?

This week, you are being treated to 2 different recipes in 1!

We have used fresh tortellini in meal prep recipes before & it has worked quite well, so we thought we would do 2 recipes using this time around.

One thing I will say before I begin.  The flavours of these recipes are great, but we made a critical error in cooking the pasta too much before freezing them.

The texture when we reheat these dishes is all wrong (Mack doesn't like them at all because of the texture & Tim has taken to frying the pasta off to make them less soggy haha).  I think we either need to not add the pasta until we serve, or throw the pasta in & immediately take the dish off the heat to cool so the pasta doesn't overcook.

Regardless, these two recipes have delicious flavours - enjoy!

RECIPE 1

Tortellini Primavera | Serves 16

Ingredients
8 cups filled tortellini (we used beef this time)
4 zucchini, diced
4 yellow squash, diced
4 cup of diced carrots
2 broccoli head, cut into pieces
2 large jars pasta sauce (yes we cheated for this one)
4 cups water
8 tablespoons dried basil & thyme

Method

Step one: add all ingredients except pasta to a pot.
Step two: cover & cook over medium heat for 20 minutes or until veggies are soft. Stir occasionally.
Step three: add the tortellini to the pot & take immediately off the heat.

To serve, defrost & heat, then sprinkle with parmesan.  Also tastes great with a salad or garlic bread.


RECIPE 2

Garlic, Chicken & Veggie Pasta | Serves 16

Ingredients
Olive oil
1.5kg chicken breast, diced
8 carrots, sliced
4 zucchini, sliced
4 yellow squash, sliced
6 cups kale, chopped (*note: we totally forgot to put this into ours!)
8 cloves garlic, crushed
600g pasta (we used filled tortellini)
Oregano, salt, pepper

Method

Step one: heat a pan with 2 tablespoons of olive oil on medium-high heat.
Step two: add in diced chicken breast, followed salt, pepper & oregano. Cook until no longer pink. Remove chicken from pan.
Step three: add carrots & sauté for 2-3 minutes until tender.
Step four: add in zucchini & yellow squash, & sauté until they become slightly translucent.
Step five: add in the kale & some more olive oil, salt & pepper.  Sauté until kale begins to wilt then add the garlic.
Step six: put the tortellini & chicken into the pan & mix.

We added a splash of chicken stock into this one for a bit more sauce.

This one also is great served with garlic bread.

Which one is your favourite?
Hx

Wedding Wednesdays: Wedding DIY Do's & Don'ts

Hellooo!

I hope you are all doing really well.

This week I'm turning my attention to wedding DIY projects.

With the cost of weddings continuously on the rise, it is the obvious choice, if you're on a budget, to look for ways you can reduce costs by doing things yourself instead of paying someone else to do it.

I get it - I have definitely done that for elements of my wedding!

But I also think it's really common to get sucked into Pinterest (I've talked about this before) & overcommit to lots of DIY projects that you really don't have time for.  & in some cases, don't necessarily have the skill for.

Things to consider when thinking about DIY projects are:

1. How much is the product to buy
2. How much will all of the materials cost to make
3. Do I have the skills to make it
4. How much time will it take to make
5. How many other things do I also have to make
6. Is it worth it / do I even need it

If the cost of DIY-ing a product is more than the cost of the actual product to buy, then it's a no brainer that you should just buy the real thing.  It's when it is significantly cheaper to DIY that it's a harder decision.  If you don't have the skills to make something, then you might have a friend that does who might be willing to do it for you.  I'm lucky to be surrounded by lots of creative people, but not everyone has that - & even if you do, you can't just expect help!  If someone doesn't have the time to do it, then maybe DIY-ing isn't the way forward.  If you can make it yourself, how much time is it going to take & do you have that time spare.  Remember you have lots of other things to do too & time will go faster than think.

Let's take a look at my wedding.  I am on a really tight budget, so I have looked at lots of DIY options.  Between myself, Mack & a few creative friends, we are DIY-ing the decor, the lighting, my second wedding dress, the guestbook & the bouquets.  Which is actually quite a lot, but there's 1 project per person, so we are sharing the load.  The things we chose to DIY are things that we want to have at the wedding, but don't want to spend a fortune on, as well as things we have the skills to pull off.

I think, as a general rule, there are things you should & shouldn't DIY - below is my list for do's & don'ts.  It is important to note that there will always be exceptions to this list.  I have friends who have made their own wedding cake, or their own dress, or the bridesmaids have made the flower arrangements & everything turned out great.  I just think that, for the don'ts, unless you have exceptional skill ready to go & the time to execute them, assume that you should just get a professional in to do the job.


Things (I think) you should never DIY:
To me, these are all huge parts of your wedding day that, if nothing else, you will be upset with if they aren't perfect.  If you have the skills & time, or a talented friend, then by all means.  But don't get your distant family friend to DJ, or an uncle who says he knows how to take photos, because you will regret it!

1. Flowers

2. Catering

3. Wedding cake

4. Music/entertainment

5. Photography

6. Wedding dress

7. Hair & makeup


Things you absolutely should DIY:
These are all things, in my opinion, that are nice to have, but no-one really notices them.  The personal touch of DIY-ing these things is actually quite nice.

1. Invitations

2. Place cards

3. Centrepieces (unless you want 100% florals)

4. Personal decor

5. Venue signage

6. Favours

7. Wedding photo album


What do you think?  Are there things that you DIY-ed for your wedding that worked out well? 

What about any DIY disasters?

See you next week!
Hx

Mega Meal Prep: Vegan Chilli

Hellooo!

Another week, another meal prep recipe.

This week, we head to a vegan recipe I found when I was meal prepping for my then pregnant sister last year.  It's healthy, it's delicious, it's vegan... & if you add as much chilli as we did, it's really spicy!

This one is so good to eat in so many different ways.

Use it as a nacho mix.  Wrap it up to make a burrito.  Top with avocado & sour cream & eat it as a burrito bowl.  You can also top it with chicken if you don't want to have a vegan meal.  Super flexible!

And these are just the options I have tried so far.

Vegan Chilli | Serves 12

Ingredients
2 cup quinoa, uncooked
2 cans black beans
2 cans whole kernel corn
2 large cans crushed tomatoes
2 large sweet potato, peeled & diced
4 cups vegetable stock
1 large red onion, finely diced
6 tablespoons chilli powder
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons paprika

Method
Step one: place all the ingredients in a slow cooker & give it a good stir.
Step two: cover and cook on high for 3 hours or on low for 6 - 8 hours (until quinoa & sweet potatoes are cooked).

Optional toppings to serve this one with include:
Fresh coriander
Greek yoghurt
Avocado
Sour cream
Chicken
Paprika

How do you eat yours?

See you next week.
Hx

Mega Meal Prep: Chicken & Chorizo Risotto

Hellooo!

Another beautiful Sunday morning, another crazy meal prep day recipe!

This week, we have another delight for your oven.

Tara found this recipe on Pintrest; original is here.

Aside from doubling the recipe to make more of it, I actually followed this one almost to the letter.  I wasn't sure how much I trusted the oven to cook a risotto nicely; usually a risotto needs a lot of love & a lot of stirring.

But this works!  & it's really yummy!

Oven Baked Chicken & Chorizo Risotto | Serves 12

Ingredients
4 teaspoons olive oil
1kg chicken thigh fillets, cut into chunks
4 chorizo sausages, sliced
2 large onions, finely chopped
3 cups Arborio rice
6 cloves garlic, crushed
750g Napoletana Sauce
6 cups chicken stock
2 cups white wine
ground black pepper
2 cups frozen peas
200g marinated char-grilled capsicum, cut into strips
1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra to serve

Method

Step one: heat oil in a large flameproof casserole dish (we cooked in a frypan & added to 2 casserole dishes) over a high heat. Add chicken & brown.  Remove chicken.

Step two: add chorizo to pan. Cook, then remove.  Add onion & cook until translucent, then add the rice & garlic.

Step three: stir in the sauce, stock, wine, seasoning, chicken & chorizo, then bring to the boil.

Step four: transfer to a casserole dish (if you weren't already cooking in one) then cover & bake for 15 minutes.

Step five: stir, then bake for 10 minutes more

Step six: Stir again, adding in the peas & capsicum, then bake for 5 minutes (*note: we did not add the capsicum here; we topped with this later, because Mack doesn't like them).

Step seven: allow to cool, then stir through parmesan to finish

Another absolutely delicious meal to come home to!

Until next week.

Hx

Wedding Wednesdays: 10 Things Your Guests Do Care About

Hellooo!

Last week, we looked at the 10 things your guests don't care about.  You can check that out here.

So this week, we take a look at the things your guests actually do care about.

If you are planning your wedding on a budget, these are the main things your guests will remember - as such, these are the things you should focus the money on.

1. Food

If the food is bad, you will hear about it for the next many years from your guests!  There are so many great venues & caterers out there, so find something that's delicious that suits you & your budget.  Definitely do a tasting beforehand so you know what to expect.  And make sure there is enough food - you don't want your guests grabbing Macca's on the way home!

2. Booze

Your guests have spent time & money attending your wedding - they do not want to have to pay for booze!  There are lots of ways you can provide an open bar without breaking the bank.  A beverage package as part of your all inclusive package is one, beverages on consumption is another.  Some venues might allow BYO & some bottle shops do a buy back system, where they will buy back what you don't consume.  So look into all of the options to be able to provide your guests with drinks all night.  You don't need fancy cocktails or spirits available either - standard beer & wine is more than sufficient!  You can always have spirits as a cash bar, so you don't have to wear the cost for your whisky or vodka drinkers - & that's OK.  As long as there are free options.

3. Music

The age old question: wedding band or DJ.  The choice is entirely up to you.  But just remember that your guest list has a wide range of people who will all have different preferences.  Is it good, easy listening music?  Is it too loud?  You don't want people to be screaming over each other whilst they eat dinner & your Nan doesn't want to hear songs with offensive words in them.  So just give it a thought as to what part the music will play in your day - you can use music to differentiate between the sections.  For example, a ceremony playlist, a cocktail hour playlist, dinner music & then a pumping DJ set list to get people on the dancefloor to finish off.

4. The ceremony

At the end of the day, you have gathered all of your nearest & dearest together to watch you get married.  Regardless of how long or short you want this to be, make sure our guests have something to see!  By the same token... make sure it's not too long either... :)

5. Info on the day

People just like to know what is happening - where they should be & when.  The best way to do this nowadays is to put all of your details on your wedding website.  How to get to the venue, where they can stay, the run sheet (what is happening & when); that way, when the guests arrive, they don't feel lost.

6. Thank you notes

Yes it might be an extra cost, but sending a thank you for coming / thank you for the gift is hugely appreciated by your guests.  Even just an email would be better than no thank you at all.

7. The venue

Where is your venue?  How far do guests have to travel?  How are guests going to get there?  Where can they stay nearby?  How will they get from their accommodation to their venue & back again?  Is the venue too hot or too cold?  What is the ground like - are stiletto heels appropriate?

All of these questions are things you should ask yourself before selecting your venue.   They are all things that make the guests as comfortable as possible, so if you haven't thought them through, your guests might not have the best time .  You want people to arrive easily, be in a good mood, be warm enough/cool enough & have a great time, so tell them about the venue & what to expect beforehand.

Guests will also notice if the venue is neat & tidy, if the staff are friendly, if they got fed their dietary requirement meal & if the staff are filling up their beverages.  Make sure your venue knows what you & your guests expect.

8. The seating plan

People don't like to walk into a room full of other people they don't know & have to work out where to sit.  Take out the awkwardness & make a plan.

9. The personal touches

Your guests will notice all of the little things you add to your day to make it yours.  You don't have to break the bank going crazy with personal touches, but your guests will notice them, because it is what sets your wedding apart from every other wedding.

10. A huge wedding gap with nothing to do

I know the tradition is to get married in the afternoon, take photos & then have the reception in the evening.  But what are your guests doing when you go to take photos?  The longest wedding gap I ever experienced was 5 hours.  Which is just ridiculous.  I get that it's your wedding but at least have some consideration for what your guests can do in that time.

Have a think about a slightly later wedding so the gap is only an hour or two.  Think about having a cocktail hour (or 2 hours) with lawn games & food & booze whilst you go & take photos. Have a first look & do all of your photos first so you never have to leave & there is no gap at all.  Just consider your guests is all I ask - they will notice if there is a huge gap where they have nothing to do (especially if they have travelled far).

I'm doing a first look with no wedding gap because this one is my biggest pet peeve! I can't wait!

See you next week :)
Hx