THE BUSY WEEKEND

From family get-togethers to romantic meals for two …

It’s the weekend which, when you think about it, is actually busier than Monday to Friday. You have clubs to go to, kids’ parties to attend, more shopping to do, people to see, places to visit to broaden the minds of your children – basically it’s a crazy couple of days.

On top of all that (and no doubt much more), you love the idea of a fancier breakfast or brunch, you want to sit down and have a family lunch to catch up on the week’s news and you’d very much like to have a candlelit meal for you and your other half on Saturday night (who says romance is dead?). Then there’s the cake you must bake because your mum always had one to offer at the weekends and you need to live up to that!

In this section, you’ll find the solutions to the juggling challenges the weekend throws up. I’ve been stress-testing them in my household since I started a family so hopefully you should find something to suit your every need.

As with the other chapters, you’ll find the quantities specially worked out so the family meals serve plenty for everyone (often with a bit left over to simplify the coming week), while the Saturday night recipes are just for you and your partner to share.