Meatless Monday {2020 – week 47}

So here we are: week 47 of Meatless Monday 2020… First week back to some sort of normality, as the boys went back to nursery and pre-school and I frantically tried to catch up at work. The weather took a turn colder, and we had several days where the mist didn’t lift all day. But I have managed to do at least 5 minutes of yoga each morning this week, which has been really empowering, before I check any social media “checking in with myself before I check in with the world” using Matthew McConaughey’s wise words – I think I’m going to go for his latest book for my December Audible credit 🙂

Here’s what we wore:

Me: Tunic Dress= Monsoon {thrifted from Hula Animal Shelter Charity Shop}, Leggings = Primark, Wooden Necklace = Charity Shop, Cardigan = Supermarket, Slippers = eBay

Boys: Trousers and Shirts, Long Sleeve Tops, Jumpers: Various sources/gifted/thrifted or supermarkets

What’s in my ears:

As you will see below I decided to start looking for Virtual Assistant work this week as another side hustle to grow this brand, whenever I start investigating something new like this I often start by looking up podcasts. These two below gave me great insight as the first one is from the perspective of someone who has been running her own VA business a for a number of years and now is expanding out into mentoring others, and then the second one is a small company who is looking to hire a VA and talking about what they would want them to do 🙂

The final podcast I listened to this week was another episode from the wonderful Jenna Kutcher’s Goal Digger podcast, which I am really getting back into, with my entrepreneurial brain definitely sparking with ideas this week. In this episode she goes into the different ways to build a successful content calendar, and I am proud to say that I already do follow a lot of this advice, but it is a good listen for anyone starting out, and a good reminder for anyone further into their influencer journey…

Here’s my week in 4:

1. Virtual Thanksgiving: Another virtual party to add to 2020’s list, this one was truly international, with American, Germany and the UK on the call. It is hard on these mass calls to catch up with everyone/anyone individually, but the whole breakout room thing worked pretty well, therefore talking to 1-2 other people, first time that I had seen this function on a personal call, but it did work pretty well and it was nice to see everyone :). The boys are getting more and more used to video calls too, and more confident to speak up to grown-ups and join in the conversations which is lovely to see. I am most certainly grateful for my family <3
2. Launching My VA Business {JJG VA Services}: This is a leap I have decided to make this week, to add on to my blogging brand and use the skills I have learnt along the way to help other small/start-up companies. The thing which I love about the being a VA is that you can specialise in your best skills to help others, whilst using a VA yourself for challenges you face in your own business, it really is a circular economy.
3. It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas: And I had a beautiful little helper to help me do the tree, parents of older children had said to me that the Christmas a child is 3 to 4 is the most magical, as they get it all for the first time. How shit that there is a global pandemic ruining all the plans, but we are trying to make the best of it and the kids won’t know any difference, as I think sometimes with kids, this young especially, you can make magical memories regardless circumstance. I just love how excited they are by the tree and decorations and lights this yr, its so lovely – definitely warms your heart.
4. Lovely Family Walks: We went back to a new walk we found a few weeks ago again this weekend, Sharpenhoe Clappers, it is a gorgeous bit of woodland, perched high on a hill with lovely views. Well worth a visit, and pretty kid friendly too 🙂

Video(s) of the week:

This week I have mainly been carrying on with watching the current season of the Crown, whenever I get a minute to watch TV, it is such a well made show, and so interesting how all the characters of the Royal family interact and how on the one hand their behaviour seems so far removed from anything in “normal life” (whatever the hell that is now), but on the other hand some of the family and marriage ups and downs are so relatable, and you realise how a little understanding and empathy can go such a long way, but then everyone has their own battles to bare from their own upbringings and their own idealologies to bring to the table.

Also loving how they are doing several feature interviews, and story behind the stories on YouTube (some examples below) which get you even more addicted to the plot line.

What we ate this week…

Breakfast:

I did my yoga first and then took the breakfast tray up to the nursery and we had cereal and fresh berries, I had my favourite tea and the boys had their milk.

Lunch:

Mid morning I had another cup of tea and a packet of paprika crisps and then for lunch I had some leftover mushroom and sun-dried tomato pasta from the freezer, an apple and another cup of tea.

Print

Sun dried tomato and mushroom pasta in a garlic and herb sauce

Italian-style pasta made with easy ingredients. Mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes go exceptionally well together in this easy creamy pasta dish.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• a pack of mushrooms
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 1/2 jar sun-dried tomatoes diced
• 2 heaped teaspoons of Marigold Swiss Veg Organic Bouillon or one veg stock cube dissolved in 2 cups of boiling water
• 150 ml single cream
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese shredded
• fresh herbs from the garden I used some marjoram, oregano, thyme and sage
• 500 g of Rigatoni Pasta or your pasta of choice

Instructions

1. Fill your pasta pan with cold water and place on the hob to bring to the boil

2. Heat olive oil on medium-high heat, in a pan which can accomodate the pasta later, add sliced mushrooms and garlic – and cook the vegetables for about 3 minutes. Add diced sun-dried tomatoes. Reduce heat.

3. Dissolve 2 heaped teaspoons of Marigold Swiss Veg Organic Bouillion in 2 cups of boiling water. Carefully add the broth to the wok – continue to cook the vegetables in the broth on medium heat until the mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes absorb some of the broth and the broth reduces by half. Add cream and bring to boil just for a short moment. Add Parmesan cheese and cook the sauce, stirring, for a couple of minutes, on low-medium heat until the cheese melts. Add the fresh herbs.

4. Cook your pasta for 10 for dried pasta and 3 minutes for fresh.

5. Drain your pasta and add to your wok and turn over in the sauce before serving and enjoying 🙂

Dinner:

When the boys got back from school, they had a kinder bar each and I had a cake bar, then they had an apple each, and I had a ginger cookie, a cup of decaf tea and a handful of nuts whilst I finished my work. Then the boys had beans on toast and I had leftover squash and goats cheese pasta from the freezer, then there were more apples and some chocolate raisins for afters :). Finally I had a cup of decaf and some matchmakers before bed.

Please check out my Pinterest meatless inspiration board: #MeatlessMonday to gather some pinspiration:

Along with the official Meatless Monday board which I am also now sharing on:

Find out how I got onto Meatless Mondays in the first place by watching this video:

And check out #meatlessmondays on this blog to see all my Meatless Monday posts and recipes. Hope you have a lovely week. 🙂

Go on Pin it!