Monthly Archives: November 2012

Competition | Win a Bumper Christmas Card Craft Kit worth £50!

Competition | Win a Bumper Christmas Card Craft Kit worth £50!

Win a Bumper Christmas Card Craft Kit worth £50!

It feels very special to receive a hand-made Christmas card. It is such a personal, loving gift.

With this marvellous craft-kit you can make beautiful cards that are unique and that your family and friends will treasure, and you can create them in no time whilst perched on the sofa watching Coronation Street!

With over 250 colour-coordinated items including:

  • Christmas papers
  • Card blanks
  • Double-sided tape
  • Stickers
  • Ribbons
  • Cross stitch kits
  • Buttons
  • Embellishments
  • Bows
  • Gems

Enter now.

St Andrew’s Day

St Andrew's Day

An icon of St. Andrew the Apostle by the Bulgarian iconographer Yoan from Gabrovo. 19th century.

On Friday it’s St Andrew’s Day – commemorated by the Scottish to remember their patron saint.

Andrew was a fisherman from Galilee, one of the original apostles who spread the gospel.

He was crucified by the Romans for his advocacy of Christianity. Some 300 years after his death the emperor decided to move his bones.

Legend has it that a monk was warned of this by an angel, who told him to move St Andrew’s bones to keep them safe. The monk transported them from Greece to Scotland. The place where he brought them shore is now known as St Andrews.

Of course, nowadays St Andrews is famous for
more recent events, such as the meeting place of
William and Kate – at Scotland’s oldest university –
and for its magnificent golf course.

I haven’t been fortunate enough to visit yet, but it does look like a lovely place, with magnificent beaches. Perfect for a blustery walk followed by a fish and chip supper!

 

 

For a taste of Scotland try these two delicious recipes

Scottish Oatcakes recipe and Cock-a-Leekie Soup recipe

Cock-a-Leekie Soup  and Scottish Oatcakes – both recipes are taken from the Around Britain cookbook.

Dairy Diary 2013 | Weekend recipes from the 2013 diary

Beef Casserole and Lancashire Scones recipes

The weather has taken a turn for the worst again with much of the UK forecast to experience lower temperatures over the next few days at least.

So we have a couple of suggestions to brighten your weekend.

This warming Beef Casserole recipe is simple and quick to prepare and can then be left to cook for a couple of hours while you get on with other things. Serve with a creamy mash and you have the ultimate comfort food!

Freshly baked Lancashire Cheese Scones are so moorish.  Sunday mornings are perfect for a little home baking and at just 30 minutes these little beauties are well worth the effort. The aroma is irresistible!

Why not share with your friends?

Have a safe and warm weekend.

Win this Hamilton 12 Piece Dinner Set from M&SLast chance this weekend
to win a Hamilton 12 piece
dinner set from M&S.

If you haven’t entered the prize
draw closes on Monday.

Beef Casserole recipe is taken from the Dairy Diary 2013.

Lancashire Cheese Scones recipe is taken from the new Take a Box of Eggs Dairy Cookbook.

2013 diary | Ten things you should know!

Ten things you should know from the Dairy Diary 2013

The sheer volume of things we need to know on a day-to-day basis is staggering. Far too much to be able to recall at a moment’s notice.

Here’s a list of 10 facts that you may need to know in the next few days – see how many questions you can answer.

Do you know…

  1. whether to tilt the head forwards or backwards to stop a nosebleed?
  2. how many years a Tin wedding anniversary celebrates?
  3. when Sagittarians are born?
  4. what is the maximum size for a Royal Mail letter?
  5. how many level teaspoon measures equal one tablespoon?
  6. how many grams (approx.) equal 16 oz (1lb)?
  7. when is the next partial lunar eclipse?
  8. how to remove deodorant stains from clothing?
  9. how many hours ahead of London is Tokyo?
  10. which form of exercise involves no strain, just slow, relaxing movements to tone your body?

How did you do?

You will find the answers to these questions and hundreds of essential facts and figures in the Dairy Diary 2013. There’s so much in it! Take a closer look…

Answers

  1. Forwards; pinch the soft part of the nose for 10 minutes (seek medical advice if the bleeding does not stop).
  2. 10
  3. November 23 – December 21
  4. 240mm x 165mm
  5. Three
  6. 450
  7. 25 April 2013 shortly after 8pm.
  8. Sponge with a hydrogen peroxide solution; apply heavy-duty liquid detergent to the area; wash.
  9. Nine
  10. Pilates

The Dairy Diary is Britain’s best-selling home diary (30+ million sales since 1982) and is available for just £6.99, making it the perfect Christmas gift for family and friends.

Dairy Diary 2013. Britain’s best selling diary since 1982.

Looking for a 2013 diary? Make it the Dairy Diary 2013.

If all of the 30+ million Dairy Diaries sold since 1982 were laid end to end they would stretch from England to the Himalayas!

Now isn’t that a fascinating fact?

I doubt that we have many readers in the Himalayas, but who knows… we do have loyal fans around the globe.

If you haven’t checked out the 2013 Dairy Diary yet you can read all about it here.

At just £6.99 it represents great value and makes a perfect Christmas gift for family and friends.

Hand-made Christmas cards

Hand-made Christmas Cards | Christmas crafts

Family and friends love to receive hand-made Christmas cards

Hand-made Christmas cards

Are you feeling festive yet? December is just around the corner, so it’s time to make a start on your Christmas cards.

Time is short for the majority of us,
but it’s so special to send hand-made
cards that it’s worth the effort.

They don’t need to be excessive, or take hours to make – a few simple touches can be used to maximum impact.

So grab a laptray and a few materials and you can knock up cards in no time whilst perched on the sofa watching Coronation Street!

Equipment

  • Pencil
  • Christmas papers
  • Scissors
  • Blank cards
  • Double-sided tape
  • Embellishments; assortment of any: ribbons, diamonte, buttons, Christmassy sequins

Method

  • Draw a stocking/bauble/present shape on the back of a Christmas paper.
  • Cut out shape and stick onto a blank card using double-sided tape.
  • Adorn with embellishments of your choice, but try to use co-ordinated colours for maximum impact.

Win a Bumper Christmas card-making kit

If you fancy making your own Christmas cards don’t miss the chance to to win a Bumper Christmas card-making kit  on 26 November. Make a note of the date to revisit Dairy Diary Chat!

 

And while you are making your Christmas cards, why not treat yourself to a little something?

Custard Tarts recipeThese Custard Tarts from
Britain’s favourite diary
are just the job.

Recipe taken from
Dairy Diary 2013.

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