Hi! Welcome to the Scatty Mum.
Hi, I’m Lauren, the face behind The Scatty Mum! I live in Surrey in the UK with my husband and two kids, aged 12 and 7.
Food has always been a passion of mine—whether it’s shopping for it, cooking it, or eating it! (And everyone who knows me will tell you I have an unhealthy obsession with salt and vinegar crisps!)
As a busy mum, I know how chaotic mealtimes can be, especially when you’re juggling work, school runs, and everything else life throws at you.
That’s why I’m passionate about helping families make mealtimes easier with simple meal plans and quick, delicious recipes that the whole family will love.
Here you will find a collection of tasty family meals designed to save time and reduce stress.
Whether you need quick weeknight dinners, ideas to use up what’s already in your kitchen, or tips to plan ahead, you’re in the right place.
We have a history of food allergies in our house (see “My Food Allergy Journey” below), so while my blog now focuses on meal planning and family-friendly recipes, my experience with food allergies is always at the heart of what I do.
That’s why every recipe includes tips on adapting it for common allergens, so everyone at your table can enjoy the same delicious meal.
Are You?
- Struggling to come up with meal ideas for the week?
- Feeling overwhelmed by the weekly food shop and unsure how to plan?
- Stuck cooking the same meals on repeat?
- Searching for recipes that can be adapted for allergies or intolerances?
- Wanting to spend less time in the kitchen and more time with your family?
If you’re nodding along, I’m here to help!
Here You Will Find...
- ✔️ Quick & Easy Dinners: Simple, fuss-free recipes to get a delicious meal on the table fast.
- ✔️ Family-Friendly Recipes: Tried-and-tested dishes your whole family will love, from quick weeknight meals to hearty dinners.
- ✔️ Meal Prep Tips: Save time with meal prep hacks and recipes you can make ahead to fit into your busy schedule.
- ✔️ Allergy-Friendly Adaptations: Every recipe includes tips for adapting it to suit common allergies, so everyone at your table can enjoy the same delicious meal.
- ✔️ Ready-to-Use Meal Plans: Save time and stress with weekly meal plans that include recipes, shopping lists, and tips for using what’s already in your kitchen. (Coming soon!!)
Our Food Allergy Journey
My journey into allergy-friendly cooking began when my eldest was diagnosed with CMPA as a baby, and we discovered more allergies during weaning.
A few years later, my son was diagnosed with non-coeliac gluten sensitivity, and I found out I had my own intolerances to dairy and gluten. It was a bit of a rollercoaster, but it taught me how to adapt recipes to suit different dietary needs without sacrificing flavour.
Now that my daughter has outgrown her allergies and my son can tolerate gluten, my focus has shifted to helping busy families plan and prepare meals that work for everyone.
But I still know how important it is to have allergy-friendly options, which is why every recipe here includes tips on how to tweak it for different food allergies or intolerances.
Testimonials
"Fabulous. Cooked this recipe up today and it was delicious. The lamb was great, but the sauce was exceptional. I didn’t have lamb stock, so I substituted chicken stock and it turned out beautifully. And thanks for tip about finishing the lamb off in the oven! Really really good".
- Robin
More About Lauren & The Blog..
"Scatty" is a very British term meaning absent-minded or disorganised, which sums me up perfectly!
My phone constantly buzzes with reminders because I’m always forgetting things, and no matter how hard I try, I’m never quite as organised as I’d like to be!
But if there’s one thing I’ve nailed, it’s making mealtimes manageable (and delicious) for busy families like ours!
She was diagnosed with CMPA (cows milk protein allergy) a couple of months after birth, however, after a couple of attempts on the milk ladder, she grew out of this by age 6.
After weaning, we also discovered allergies to egg and sesame, which, thankfully, she grew out of around age 8.
Although she had never eaten peanuts or tree nuts, both showed up as positive on her skin prick allergy testing, so we were advised to avoid these as well and were given EPI pens.
A successful tree nut challenge was carried out a few years ago and in Jan 2023, a peanut challenge carried out in the hospital was also successful.
This means she is now free of all her allergies. For this, I am beyond grateful.
You can read all about her allergy story here.
I know how hard it can be navigating the world of food with allergies, so I wanted to give back and create tasty recipes that you can all enjoy safely as a family.
Yes, some of my favourites are these Vegan Oreo Chocolate Brownies & Crispy Baked Cauliflower Bites.
How can I save time on busy weeknights?
When you're short on time, keep it simple! Quick meals like stir-fries, traybakes, or one-pot dishes are a real lifesaver. You can also make use of pre-chopped veggies, cooked grains (i'm talking to you, microwave rice!) and ready-made ingredients to cut down on prep time.
And don't forget about leftovers—sometimes the best meals are the ones you can rustle up from last night's dinner!
I'd love you to join me over on…. Instagram, Facebook & Pinterest or subscribe to have all new recipes emailed directly to you.
If you are also a food blogger you may want to check out my food blogging resource page with my recommendations on all the tools I use to run The Scatty Mum.
You can also listen to my podcast episode on Eat Blog Talk about mindset hacks to build a successful blog.
I look forward to chatting with you all!
Lauren x
My Favourite Recipes...
These are my all-time favourite recipes that we enjoy as a family time & time again.
