Preparation time – 15 minutes plus
10 minutes standing
Cooking time – 30 minutes
Calories per portion – 225 Kcal
Fat per portion – 12g
of which saturated – 7.4g
Serves – 4
Suitable for vegetarians

Mashing potatoes, such as Maris Piper 450g (1lb)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Green or white cabbage 450g (1lb)
Milk 2 tbsp
Unsalted butter 25g (21oz)
Chopped chives 4 tbsp
Scottish Cheddar cheese 75g (3oz), grated

1 Peel the potatoes and cut into small pieces. Place in a saucepan with 1⁄2 tsp salt and cover with water. Bring to the boil and cook for 10–12 minutes until tender. Drain well and leave in the colander for 10 minutes to dry.

2 Meanwhile, trim any damaged outer leaves from the cabbage. Remove the core, and then slice the leaves finely. Bring a large pan of lightly salted water to the boil and add the cabbage; cover and cook for 5 minutes until just tender. Drain well, shaking to remove excess water.

3 Preheat the grill to a medium/hot setting. Return the drained potatoes to the saucepan and mash well with the milk and butter. Season well. Mix the cabbage and chives into the mashed potato and place in an ovenproof shallow dish. Sprinkle with grated cheese.

4 Cook under the grill for about 5 minutes until melted, golden and bubbling. Serve in individual ovenproof dishes with grilled tomatoes on the vine, or as a side dish to accompany stews.

Cook’s tips
• If preferred, omit the cheese and serve the mashed vegetables as a simple side dish.
• Alternatively, for a non-vegetarian version, add freshly cooked crispy bacon to the mash and cabbage  mixture .

Save £4 when you buy Around Britain Dairy Cookbook

Rumbledethumps is taken from the popular Around Britain Dairy Cookbook which is available for a short period at the incredible price of just £2.99 while stocks last.

Seasonal Garden Ideas is a beautiful book featuring easy half-day projects to add beauty to any garden throughout the year.

Each of the 77 projects is presented like a RECIPE; with ingredients, step-by-step instructions, hints and tips, time required, when to start and aftercare. Now doesn’t that sound simple?

When you turn to a project you will be delighted with how the information is clearly laid out to make the task so straightforward. Each project is illustrated with a beautiful colour photograph.

Excellent value at just £9.75.
Order it from your milkman or online while stocks last.

Celebrate St David’s day with a fantastic Welsh lamb dish

I love Welsh lamb and this Minty Lamb Pattie is the perfect excuse to support Welsh farmers and enjoy one of the best ‘burgers’ you’ll ever taste. Sounds naughty, but this is a nicely balanced meal. Try it and I think you’ll add it to your ‘favourites’.

Save £4 when you buy Around Britain Dairy Cookbook

Minty Lamb Pattie is taken from the popular Around Britain Dairy Cookbook which is available for a short period at the incredible price of just £2.99 while stocks last.

Preparation time – 10 minutes
Cooking time – 30 minutes
Calories per portion – 386 Kcal
Fat per portion – 17g
of which saturated – 7.9g
Serves – 4
Suitable for freezing

Minced lamb 450g (1lb)
Onion 1 small, peeled and finely chopped
Breadcrumbs 110g (4oz)
Lemon ½ , finely grated rind only
Chopped mint 3 tbsp
Egg 1, beaten
Plain flour 2 tbsp
Cucumber ½ , cut into 5cm (2in) lengths and then into quarter wedges
Spring onions 6, trimmed and cut into 5mm ( ¼ in) pieces
Chicken stock 200ml (7fl oz)
Dry sherry 1 tbsp

1 In a large bowl, mix the lamb, onion, breadcrumbs, lemon rind, 1 tbsp of the mint and the egg. Shape the mixture into eight flatish balls and coat in the flour.

2 Dry fry the patties in a large, lidded frying pan for about 5 minutes, until browned all over. Add the cucumber, spring onions, stock and sherry and the remaining mint. Bring to the boil. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, until the meat is tender.

Serve with peas.

Cook’s tip
If you are cooking for two, follow the recipe above but only fry four of the patties. Wrap the remaining four (unfloured) in cling film and freeze until required. Defrost overnight in the fridge and grill for 10–15 minutes, until browned. Serve in burger buns with a large salad.

Recipe taken from Around Britain Dairy Cookbook, available for just £2.99 for a limited period.

An all-in-one pot recipe that’s great for family cooking, but make sure it’s a big pot! It provides fibre, protein and carbohydrate and so needs no accompaniment. If left to stand, the pasta will absorb the sauce, so if it gets too thick, just add boiling water and stir well.

This is another fabulous recipe from Hearty & Healthy Dairy Cookbook, available from our website now for a staggering £2.99 (plus £2.00 P&P). Order now this offer ends Sunday 28 February.

Preparation time 10 minutes
Cooking time 35 minutes
Calories per portion 445 Kcal
Fat per portion 10g
of which saturated 2.6g
Serves 4

Olive oil 2 tsp
Pork fillet 375g (13oz), trimmed of any visible fat and sinew and cut into 1cm (½in) cubes
Onion 1, peeled and sliced
Green pepper 1, deseeded and sliced
Garlic 2 cloves, peeled and crushed
Red chilli 1, deseeded and finely chopped
Cumin seeds 2 tsp
Passata 500g (1lb 2oz)
Chicken stock 750ml (1¼ pints)
Pasta, e.g. penne 175g (6oz)
Cannellini beans 420g can, drained and rinsed
Chopped parsley 4 tbsp

1 Heat the oil in a deep saucepan, add the pork and let it colour all over for 5 minutes. Add the onion, green pepper, garlic and chilli and cook for another 5 minutes. Sprinkle cumin seeds into the pan and stir well. Cook for another minute.

2 Pour in the passata and stock, bring to the boil then add the pasta. Bring it back to the boil and add the beans and half the parsley. Season to taste and stir well.

3 Cook, uncovered, over a low to medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is just tender and coated in a thick sauce (add a little hot water if the sauce gets too thick).

4 Sprinkle with the rest of the parsley and then let the stew stand for 5 minutes before serving straight from the pot.

Cook’s tip
With the cumin seeds and chilli this dish could be quite spicy (depends on the chilli). Take the heat out by adding some tomato ketchup or sugar.

Recipe taken from Hearty & Healthy Dairy Cookbook

My love affair with the humble pancake began on a French exchange holiday when I was fourteen. The family I stayed with were extremely eccentric (half of their home was a ‘Havishamesque’ abandoned theatre/shop, covered in cobwebs and unchanged for decades) but fantastic cooks; making the most amazing crepes.

Although I have never been able to replicate such pancake excellence, I have a go at making a new savoury version each year, finished off with a classic sugar and lemon. I may defy convention tomorrow with these Fruity Coffee Pancakes from Year Round Dairy Cookbook. Incidentally, a contestant on Come Dine with Me will soon be cooking from this book on TV, so let’s hope they do it justice!

As you know the majority of our Dairy Diaries are still sold by the milkmen, so we are firm supporters of this valuable British Institution. Pancake Day has always been a great reason to buy extra ‘pintas’.

For Mark Smith’s (the Guardian) intriguing foray into the world of the milkman see ‘Deliverance: out on a milk round’.

15 minutes preparation time
20 minutes cooking time
305 Kcal per portion
8.3g fat per portion of which
4.5g is saturated
4 servings
Suitable for vegetarians

Plain flour 110g (4oz)
Instant coffee granules 1 tsp
Egg 1, beaten
Milk 300ml (1⁄2 pint)
Butter 25g (1oz)
Oranges 2
Cornflour 2 tsp
Clear honey 2 tbsp
Bananas 2, peeled and chopped
Greek-style natural yogurt to serve

1 Place the flour and coffee granules in a mixing bowl and gradually stir in the egg and then the milk to form a smooth batter.

2 Heat a little butter of the in a frying pan. When hot, pour in 3 tbsp of the batter, tilting the pan to cover the base. Cook the batter until the pancake moves freely, then flip it over and cook until the other side is golden. Repeat to make 8 pancakes, keeping them warm while making the filling.

3 Remove the rind from the oranges with a zester. Using a small, sharp knife, take away as much of the pith as possible. Holding each orange over a bowl, slice in between each segment to release the flesh and juice into the bowl. Mix the orange juice, cornflour and honey and heat in a small pan until thickened. Add the fruit.

4 Fold the pancakes into triangles and fill with the fruit. Serve immediately with the Greek yogurt.

Cook’s tips
Use a heavy frying pan with a diameter of up to 18cm (7in) – the batter won’t spread as evenly in a larger one.
Use only a little fat (butter is best), but re-grease after cooking each pancake.

Recipe taken from Year Round Dairy Cookbook

During my lunch hours I have been painting a picture of Venice (where he proposed) for my fiancé as a gift. However, as it is only about a fifth complete I think I might have to resort to plan B – cook!

Perhaps the lamb shank recipe (Quick & Easy Dairy Cookbook), which I cooked for our first date?

I think we should definitely start the day with Scrambled Eggs with Smoked Salmon and perhaps finish with a really nice bottle of red and Duck with Plum Sauce. Both these recipes are from Just One Pot Dairy Cookbook, which is now back in stock after selling out twice!

I know Valentine’s Day is a bit commercial but we all neglect to tell our loved ones how much they mean to us, so why not give your special someone a real feel-good treat on Sunday?

Preparation time 10 minutes
Cooking time 15 minutes
Calories per portion 733 Kcal
Fat per portion 21g
of which saturated 3.9g
Serves 2

For the plum sauce
Red plums 200g (7oz), halved, stoned and quartered
Cinnamon stick 1, halved
Dried red chilli 1, crumbled
Preserving or granulated sugar 75g (3oz) (or to taste)
Red wine vinegar 3 tbsp

For the duck
Olive oil 2 tbsp
Red onion 1, peeled and finely chopped
Root ginger 5cm (2in) piece, peeled and chopped
Skinless, boneless mini duck fillets 225g packet, or larger fillets, sliced
Pak choi 3, trimmed and sliced
Straight-to-wok noodles 300g packet

1 For the plum sauce, cook the plums in a wok with the cinnamon, chilli and sugar over a gentle heat for a minute or so. Then add the vinegar, stir well and simmer for 5–10 minutes or until the plums are tender and the liquid has reduced. The exact time will depend on the ripeness of the plums. Stir often to prevent the mixture from sticking to the wok. Tip into a bowl and remove the cinnamon stick. Rinse the wok.

2 To cook the duck, heat the oil in the wok, add the onion and ginger and stir-fry for a minute or so. Then add the duck and stir-fry for about 6 minutes or until the meat is golden and tender. Add the pak choi and noodles and stir-fry for 2 minutes.

3 Add half the plum sauce, mix well and serve on warm plates with the rest of the plum sauce in a separate bowl.

Cook’s tip
Oriental food specialists Amoy make great straight-to-wok noodles. After cooking your stir-fry ingredients, you just add to the wok and cook for 1–2 minutes.

Recipe taken from  Just One Pot Dairy Cookbook

Preparation time 4 minutes
Cooking time 3 minutes
Calories per portion 766 Kcal
Fat per portion 55g
of which saturated 25.2g
Serves 2

Butter 75g (3oz), softened
Tomato purée 2 tsp
Chopped dill 2 tbsp, plus a few fronds to garnish
Capers 2–3 tbsp, well drained and roughly chopped
Freshly ground black pepper
Mediterranean-style bread with olives 4 slices, approximately 2cm (¾in) thick, cut diagonally
Eggs 5 large, beaten
Smoked salmon slices 100g packet, cut into thin strips
Beefsteak tomato 1, deseeded and diced, to garnish (optional)

1 Put 50g (2oz) of the butter into a small bowl, then add the tomato purée, chopped dill and capers. Season with black pepper, then mix well together and set aside.

2 Toast the bread and keep warm.

3 Melt the remaining butter in a small saucepan (preferably non-stick), add the eggs and half of the salmon strips. Then cook over a moderate heat, stirring continuously, until the eggs are softly scrambled – taking care not to overcook, as they will become dry.

4 Spread the toasted bread with the tomato butter and put onto two serving plates. Spoon the scrambled eggs on top, garnish with the remaining strips of salmon, dill and the chopped tomato, and serve immediately.

Cook’s Tip
For quick assembly, prepare all the ingredients before starting to cook and toast the bread while scrambling the eggs.

Recipe from Just One Pot Dairy Cookbook

and their authors seem to exist in some parallel universe where there is always time (and money) to shop at the local farmers’ market or quirky deli to buy some obscure ingredient, and always vast amounts of time to spend on preparation and food presentation.

Most of us though, live in the real world, where time is a rare commodity, that elusive deli is probably 25 miles away and the farmers’ market falls on the day when we have to stay in and wait for the electrician. Life is just not that perfect. That’s why part of my job is to create a cookbook that is tantalising and beautiful but also practical – this is the reason dairy cookbooks have been so popular for so many years.

So, what subject matter does the next cookbook tackle?
One idea is to create a book that focuses on how to shop, cook and eat cheaply. But is that not why “mums go to Iceland”? Can we make a book that will compete with these bargain convenience food shops? Hopefully not all of us want to fill up on junk. Many of us love food and know the importance of eating well, but perhaps not how to eat well on a budget (including me, if I’m honest).

Whilst researching this concept I have come across some great money-saving advice. The first and REALLY important point is to reduce food waste. Try following these great tips from www.myzerowaste.com

Menu plan.
Think about the meals that will cook and make a menu plan for the week. Write down the ingredients you need for each meal on a list. Stick to this list when you shop (and don’t shop when you’re hungry). I always plan for two fewer meals than we need as there are bound to be some leftovers to be used up.

Use up your leftovers.
Before you begin to cook or shop, look what’s left in the fridge and plan meals with anything in there. Vegetables which are starting to go soft can be made into soup or pasta sauces. Over ripe fruits can be made into pies or blended to make smoothies. Half a tin of tuna could be tonight’s pasta bake and a few spoons of cooked mince could be made into pasties.

Take a look at what you throw away.
Be honest with yourself and start writing things down. Do you throw away half a loaf of bread a week? Then why not freeze it and take out slices as you need them. Take individual slices out for sandwiches the night before you need them, or use straight from frozen for toasting. If you regularly throw away vegetables then maybe you need to buy them loose and reduce the amount you buy each week.

Check your fridge.
Are the seals good and is the temperature set to between 1 and 5 degrees? This ensures your fridge will keep your food fresh for as long as possible.

Portion control.
Make smaller portions so less food is thrown away.

Our cookbook Clever Cooking for One or Two was specifically created to reduce food waste (any leftover ingredients will have a long shelf life). Try these two recipes, Cheese and Ham Souffle Omelette/Ham and Green Pea Soup, which share one 250g pack of good quality cooked ham.

Try these two recipes, which share one 250g pack of good quality cooked ham.

Cheese & Ham Souffle Omelette

Preparation time 5 minutes
Cooking time 7 minutes
Calories per omelette 492 Kcal
Fat per omelette 37g
of which saturated 15.8g
Makes 2 omelettes

Eggs 4, separated
Finely chopped tarragon 2 tbsp, optional
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Cheddar cheese 110g (4oz), finely chopped
Cooked ham 125g (4½oz), chopped
Olive oil 2 tsp

1 Beat the egg yolks with the tarragon, if using. Whisk the egg whites to a peak, then fold into the yolk mixture with the seasoning, half of the cheese and all of the ham.

2 Preheat the grill to hot. On the hob, heat 1 teaspoon of the olive oil in a small omelette pan (with a heatproof handle), pour half of the egg mixture into the pan and cook for 1–2 minutes until just beginning to turn golden underneath.

3 Pop the pan under the preheated grill and, when the mix begins to rise, sprinkle over half of the remaining cheese and return to the grill until the cheese melts – about another 1–2 minutes. Fold the omelette in half as you turn it out onto a warm plate and serve with a little extra pepper. Repeat steps 2 and 3 for the second omelette.

Cook’s tip
If you are cooking for one, simply halve all of the ingredients and follow the method as usual. It makes a deliciously easy meal.

Shopper’s tip
For a special treat, substitute the smoked salmon for the ham and enjoy the omelette with a glass of chilled fizz.

Ham and Green Pea Soup

Preparation time 10 minutes
Cooking time 20 minutes
Calories per portion 825 Kcal
Fat per portion 54g
of which saturated 26.1g
Serves 2
Suitable for freezing

Olive oil 1 tbsp
Onion 1, peeled and chopped
Garlic 1 clove, peeled and finely chopped
Frozen peas 450g (1lb)
Cooked ham 125g (4½oz), chopped
Chicken or vegetable stock 450ml (¾ pint)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Double cream 142ml pot
Toasted croutons 60g pack

1 Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and cook the onion and garlic until softened. Add the peas and 75g (3oz) of the ham and mix well. Add the stock, bring slowly to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes, skimming off any scum that forms.

2 Pour into a food processor and blend until smooth. Return to the pan, heat gently and season with salt and pepper.

3 Serve the hot soup in individual bowls garnished with a swirl of cream, the remaining chopped ham and croutons.

Cook’s tip
Making a ham sandwich? Use up the leftover ham by making this brilliant and filling soup! It’s a meal in one.

Shopper’s tip
Look out for packets of fresh croutons to serve with this soup. They are found in the salad section of the supermarket.

Not the most exciting task in the world! To make this week more bearable I will be enjoying a delicious homemade breakfast each day to celebrate Farmhouse Breakfast week.

Taking place this week, Farmhouse Breakfast week is a real opportunity for everyone to get into the healthy breakfast habit and celebrate the rich wealth of breakfast foods found across the country. Health professionals all agree we should start the day with a healthy, balanced breakfast. Breakfast can boost energy levels, help concentration and can even help to manage weight.

For a scrumptious, filling treat, try this Egg and Bacon Toastie from Hearty & Healthy Dairy Cookbook – available now for only £2.99 (plus P&P)! For more breakfast ideas visit the Farmhouse Breakfast Week website.

Egg and Bacon Toastie

Preparation time 15 minutes
Cooking time 5 minutes
Calories per toastie 275 Kcal
Fat per toastie 12g
of which saturated 3.2g
Makes 1 toastie

Egg 1, hard-boiled
Light mayonnaise 1 tsp
Low fat natural fromage frais 1 tsp
Mustard powder a pinch
Lean unsmoked back bacon 2 rashers, trimmed of any visible fat
Wholemeal bread 1 large slice
Cherry tomatoes 3
Wild rocket leaves or watercress sprigs a handful

1 Peel and mash the egg and mix with the mayonnaise, fromage frais and mustard. Set aside until ready to serve.

2 Preheat the grill to medium/hot and cook the bacon on the grill rack for about 5 minutes, turning halfway through, until golden and crisp. Drain on kitchen paper and keep warm. Toast the bread lightly on each side.

3 To serve, arrange the bacon on the toast and pile the egg on top. Cut each tomato in half and place on top and sprinkle with a few rocket leaves. Season with black pepper and serve immediately.

Recipe taken from Hearty & Healthy Dairy Cookbook.

It’s not only delicious but healthy too! This is another fabulous recipe from Hearty & Healthy Dairy Cookbook, available from our website now for a staggering £2.99 (plus £2.00 P&P). Order now while stocks last.

Vegetable Curry

The carrots are an excellent source of beta-carotene, which our bodies turn into vitamin A. Betacarotene also acts as an antioxidant, protecting cell membranes.

Preparation time 5 minutes
Cooking time 25 minutes
Calories per portion 249 Kcal
Fat per portion 3g
of which saturated 0.9g
Serves 4
Suitable for vegetarians

Spray oil a few bursts
Onion 1, peeled and chopped
Curry powder 1 tbsp
Paprika 1 tsp
Tomato purée 2 tsp
Lemon juice 2 tsp
Apricot jam or redcurrant jelly 1 tbsp
Semi-skimmed milk 300ml (½ pint)
Raisins or sultanas 50g (2oz)
Carrots 400g (14oz), peeled and sliced
Cauliflower 400g (14oz), broken into florets
Potatoes 400g (14oz), peeled and cubed

1 Spray a large pan with oil and add the onion. Fry gently for a few minutes, without browning. Add the curry powder and paprika and cook for a further 2–3 minutes.

2 Add the tomato purée, lemon juice, jam or jelly, milk and raisins or sultanas. Bring to the boil and then simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

3 Meanwhile, cook the vegetables in a pan of boiling water for 5–10 minutes, until tender, adding shredded green cauliflower leaves, if any, for the last 2 minutes.

4 Drain the vegetables and stir them into the curry sauce. Simmer until all vegetables are tender, topping up with extra milk if sauce boils dry. Serve the curry with basmati or brown rice.

Cook’s tip
If you want to serve with raita, simply mix some chopped mint and cucumber with low fat natural yogurt.

Recipe taken from Hearty & Healthy Dairy Cookbook.

Even during a recent visit to a department store café (chosen specifically for its children’s-size spaghetti bolognaise) the only drinks on offer for my two-year-old were sweetener laden juice or sugary fizzy drinks. When I requested a glass of milk instead the server looked at me disgustedly as though I was asking for champagne!

Yet, in school where children’s food has been transformed beyond all recognition, so few parents take advantage of it. Half of UK children take a packed lunch to school but only one per cent of school lunch boxes contain food with that meets with nutritional standards (low in fat and salt, high in essential vitamins and nutrients). The Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health reported that more than 25 per cent contained sweets, snacks and sugary drinks, which are banned in local authority prepared meals. It’s no wonder we have an obesity crisis. I know everyone is mega-busy these days but it makes me so sad that so many people don’t consider the implications of diet on their child’s health. Surely such poor quality food and drink must affect their concentration levels?

My son accidentally got his hands on some jellybeans a few months ago and I have never seen such erratic and extreme behaviour from him! I am not sure how much school meals cost, but surely it better to encourage children to eat these now that they are soundly balanced and regulated?

It’s very different to my school days when I asked for salad and I was told that they were “saved for teachers” and offered soggy cheese pie and lukewarm chips instead eeeuggggh. Pitta Pizzas are perfect for a lunchbox, they could be served raw with the topping inside the pitta or cooked and cooled for the lunchbox. For more lunchbox inspiration visit School Food Trust.

Pitta Pizza

Preparation time 15 minutes
Cooking time 30 minutes
Calories per portion 293 Kcal
Fat per portion 8g
of which saturated 2.9g
Serves 4
Suitable for vegetarians + freezing

Wholemeal pitta breads 4
Tomato ketchup 8 tsp
Garlic 1 clove, peeled and crushed, optional
Red or green pepper 1, quartered, deseeded and thinly sliced
Button mushrooms 110g (4oz), wiped and finely sliced
Spring onions 4, trimmed and finely sliced
Low fat Mozzarella 125g pack, drained
Tomatoes 4, chopped or sliced
Basil leaves about 20

1 Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas 6. Split the pitta breads in half and put them on two heavy baking sheets. Spread each half with a teaspoon of ketchup and add a little garlic, if using, and divide the pepper, mushrooms and spring onions between them.

2 Season to taste and top with chunks of torn Mozzarella, then pieces of tomato and half the basil leaves, torn.

3 Cook for 20–23 minutes, changing the trays round in the oven half way through cooking. Serve two ‘pizzas’ per person garnished with basil and accompanied by lots of green salad.

Cook’s tip
If you do not have pitta breads then try this recipe using a wholewheat French stick, halved. It may take less time to cook so check from time to time.

Please ignore the word ‘diet’ in my previous blog – I simply meant we would enjoy eating lots of soup rather than copious handfuls of chocolate!

I have just read a very inspiring article about how to be happier, not necessarily thinner. Dr Mark Porter: my prescription for better living in 2010 it contains so much fantastic advice. My mantra in life is probably quite similar (but of course involves food too!):

• A LITTLE of what you fancy does you good.
• Smile and always be cheerful.
• Drink plenty of water (plus an occasional glass of red wine).
• STOP eating when you feel full.
• Be creative and make things.
• Don’t buy sweetner-laden foods (research shows that the sweet taste actually makes your body crave sugar).
• Read the TV guide BEFORE switching on the TV, if there’s nothing on you fancy, leave it off.
• Cherish your friends but don’t waste time on those who don’t cherish you.
• Use the Dairy Diary!
• Cook.
• Snack on healthy foods.

Talking of snacks, don’t forget our poor feathered friends during this cold snap. Our new book Seasonal Garden Ideas (due to launch this spring) has the perfect recipe for them to munch on.

Robin’s Christmas Dinner
Sturdy metal, ceramic or wooden container with a strong handle.
Large double-ended metal hook.
500g (1lb) lard plus mixed birdseed and nuts – try to find a mixture that contains dried mealworms which are a real favourite of robins. You can even find packets of dried mealworms to mix in with the other ingredients.

1 Melt the lard in the saucepan but ensure it doesn’t boil or burn.
2 Carefully pour the melted fat into your container, then stir in a mixture of birdseed and nuts and mealworms. Put aside to cool and set hard.
3 Attach the hook to the branch of a tree, then hang up your fat container from the handle. Try to site it in a reasonably sheltered area, and make sure the hook can’t slide off the branch. It will swing around as the birds land on it, but this won’t deter them – and it may help to keep greedy squirrels at bay.

And for us humans, snack on Cheese Flapjacks from Hearty and Healthy Dairy Cookbook (see below). Or for those lazy days why not visit Graze.com -  a mail order company who specialise in delivering healthy snacks to keep your blood sugar at a happy level throughout the day – what a revelation! I’m most excited about my first package due on Wednesday. There’s a voucher for a free sample in the February issue of Delicious magazine.

Cheesy Flapjacks

Preparation time 20 minutes
Cooking time 25-30 minutes
Calories per flapjack 167 Kcal
Fat per flapjack 12g
of which saturated 4.7g
Makes 12 flapjacks
Suitable for vegetarians + freezing

Butter or margarine 50g (2oz)
Cashew nuts 50g (2oz)
Macadamia nuts 25g (1oz), halved
Carrot 1 large, peeled and grated
Double Gloucester cheese 110g (4oz), grated
Porridge oats 150g (5oz)
Dried mixed herbs ½ tsp
Egg 1, beaten

1 Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4. Melt the butter in the microwave or a saucepan. Remove from the heat and then add the nuts, carrot, cheese, oats, herbs and egg. Mix well.

2 Grease a 20cm (8in) round pie tin. Spoon the mixture into the tin and press down well. Bake for 25–30 minutes, until golden brown. Leave in the tin to cool and then cut into 12 wedges. Serve cold as a snack.

Cook’s tip
These are great to make and keep in an airtight container in the cupboard. If anyone in the family fancies a savoury snack, they are the perfect healthy alternative to crisps.

I only wish I had pulled over to take a photograph – it would have made a perfect Christmas card for later on this year (that still sounds strange!) A sugared almond backdrop of milky pink and lilac with the bare trees and plants heavily crusted in frost, sparkling in the sunshine.

Missed out on the Dairy Dairy at Christmas?
The Dairy Diary office has been in a blur all day with us trying to get on top of all the phone calls, emails and letters we have received today and over the holiday. There are always people who expect a Dairy Diary Christmas gift and receive something else yet they don’t want to miss out on their diary! To all who are wondering, yes they are still available and can be purchased at www.dairydiary.co.uk or by calling 0845 0948128.

Of course, New Year’s resolutions are front of mind at the moment, and after the excesses of Christmas my other half and I have decided to opt for a soup diet for the next few nights’ dinner. First on the menu is Spaghetti soup – wholesome, healthy and delicious. I will be scouring all our cookbooks and diaries for more inspiration over the coming evenings. We have also decided to abandon the depressingly bad evening television for more happy entertainment, such as reading, board games and painting – I wonder how long that resolution will last!