Author Archives for Emily Davenport, Head of Dairy Diary

About Emily Davenport, Head of Dairy Diary

Head of Dairy Diary; I'm passionate about producing high quality products that our customers will cherish. I'm also a mum of three and I enjoy cooking, walking, gardening and painting with my family, as well as printmaking (when I find the time!)

Competition | Win a £50 Spending Spree

Competition Win a £50 Spending Sp[ree

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Competition | Win a £50 Spending Spree at the Heathcote & Ivory beauty products website.

Dairy Diary is giving you the chance to win a £50 spending spree at heathcote-ivory.com

Whether it’s soothing skin cleansing and moisturising products or luxurious home fragrance accessories, Heathcote & Ivory has the answer with fine fragrances, quality ingredients and beautiful gift packaging making perfect presents or ideal treats.

Simply complete the form and you will be entered into the prize draw. Good luck.

Enter now at http://a.pgtb.me/djrK4n

How to Create a Healthy Eating Plan

How to create a healthy eating plan

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Creating my Healthy Eating Plan

I have a couple of significant and glamorous birthday parties looming and they have given me the kick up the trousers I need to sort out my diet.

Yes, I eat prettily healthily – I don’t drink sugary drinks (except from the odd glass of wine of course!), I don’t live on ready meals, I try to avoid too much pastry and I rarely eat takeaways.

BUT my downfall is my sweet
tooth, particularly chocolate.

I tend to snack on sugary things a little too often, which is not a great idea given that I have a higher than average chance of developing late-onset diabetes. So, these few pounds that I want to lose for the parties have made me reflect on what I eat and how I eat and I am determined to change my habits forever and hopefully avoid health problems later in life.

My main problem is that many of the foods I currently eat give me a quick blood sugar high followed by a sharp drop. I should be eating foods that keep me fuller for longer and release their energy slowly.

So, this is my plan of action.

  • On my plate always have ¼ carbs, ¼ lean meat or fish and ½ veg or salad.
  • Limit my bread consumption, eating a little wholemeal in the week and treating myself to some gorgeous homemade white toast and butter on a Sunday morning only.
  • Eat a mid-morning and mid afternoon snack. Either a piece of fruit or a small handful of almonds.
  • Eat wholewheat pasta (and as above, less of it) and basmati rice or brown rice.
  • Eat fat free Greek yogurt after dinner (with blueberries or a tiny drizzle of honey) instead of my usual snack-size bag of Maltesters.
  • On a Friday night, let my hair down and ignore all of the above! Well, you only live once

 

 

 

Beef Burgers with Mixed Grain SaladWhat are your top tips
for staying fit and healthy?

Try out this Beef Burgers with
Mixed Grain Salad recipe from
the 2014 Dairy Diary.

It ticks all of the boxes, and is
quick and tasty too!

 

Spring gardening ideas | Summer baskets

Baskets that flower throughout the summer

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Baskets that will flower throughout the summer

Bursting out all over in a profusion of blooms, this huge blue and yellow themed hanging basket contains no fewer than ten different kinds of plant – they come into flower at different times, so providing a long-lasting display.

Plant in spring for flowering throughout the summer. There are a lot of plants here, so allow an afternoon for the job.

Plants

  • Buy all the plants needed for this basket as small container-grown plantlets.
  • Three plants are included for their foliage: Helichrysum petiolare; creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia); and Swedish ivy (Plectranthus coleoides ‘Variegatus’).
  • Seven are chosen for their flowers: purple heliotrope ‘Marine’; petunia; trailing verbena; lobelia; nemesia; French marigold; tradescantia. Note: in the picture, not all plants are in flower.

Equipment

  • Large hanging basket with chains and hook.
  • Hanging basket liner (plastic, hessian, felt or moulded paper).
  • Potting compost.
  • Trowel.
  • Slow-release fertiliser spike.

Planting

1 Water all the plants thoroughly the day before you plan to plant them.

2 Insert the liner into the basket – prick small drainage holes through if necessary.

3 Planting such a large and varied basket requires a careful building up of layers of plants. Spread a sheet of newspaper or plastic on the ground, then take all your plants out of their original little pots and arrange them in size order on the sheet. Each should be placed in the basket according to the size of its rootball – bigger ones deeper in, smaller ones nearer the top.

4 Put a layer of compost into the bottom of the basket. Start planting, spacing the different plants around the basket, firming in, then topping up with more compost. Plant another layer and repeat the procedure. Note that the three foliage plants – the helichrysum, creeping Jenny and Swedish ivy – are all placed at the front so they can trail downwards, while the double-flowered petunia is placed centrally. Deep blue lobelias have been positioned all round the edges.

5 When the planting is complete, top up the compost to within 2.5cm (1in) of the top of the basket and insert a slow-release fertiliser spike. Hang it up in its designated position, making sure the hook and fixings are strong enough to take the considerable weight. Water thoroughly.

Tip
Invest in a long-handled, pump-action watering can to make watering your hanging basket easier – and to save you taking it down every day or climbing up a ladder to reach it.

Note
Many, but not all, of these plants are annuals and will not survive the winter. However, even those that are hardy and evergreen, such as the Swedish ivy, will be exhausted by the end of summer – so it’s best to discard the whole lot when flowering stops and plant anew in spring.

Aftercare
Water regularly – at least once a day in hot weather. Deadhead withered and faded blooms to prolong flowering and remove any damaged or discoloured foliage.

Project taken from Seasonal Garden Ideas. Available now.

 

Easter Recipes & Crafts

Easter Recipes & Crafts

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Easter Recipes & Crafts

As a mummy (as of yesterday ‘Mum’! to my grown up five year-old) of three small children, I am usually insistent that we get outdoors and burn off some energy whatever the weather.

However, this weekend proved to be so bone-numbingly chilly that we retreated indoors and crafted. The final results were not always worthy of a country magazine, but we had fun none the less and our nearest and dearest will receive some almost-pretty Easter goodies next weekend.

Easter Bunny & ChickOne of our favourite projects was Easter Bunny & Chick from Buttonbag. They look very cute adorning the top of our mantelpiece.

I also treated myself to an hour alone (bliss) in our local town perusing the deli and flower shop for seasonal inspiration.

After choosing a few miniature daffs
and the ingredients for our famous
Simnel cake, our house is looking,
and smelling, particularly spring-like.

Shame the outside does not mirror this!

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> Try the Simnel Cake for yourself, it’s delicious. And this Fish Pie is perfect for Good Friday.

Easter recipes from Dairy Diary

 

Have a wonderful Easter everyone.

Plant a spring flower medley in one hour

How to plant a spring flower medley

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Celebrate the start of spring with these easy planted pots

Well thank goodness……..spring begins on Wednesday.

Let’s hope it heralds plenty
of sunshine and new growth.

I have already glimpsed swathes of crocuses and the daffodils are bravely shooting through our lawn at the moment. The front garden does need a little help though as it’s still looking pretty sparse.

Seasonal Garden IdeasThis easy project from Seasonal Garden Ideas
(£3.99 dairydiary.co.uk) is perfect to brighten it up!

 

 

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Spring Flower Medley

Spring-Flower-Medley-2The beauty of growing plants in pots is that you can bring very different species together to form interesting associations – as proved by this captivating little group themed around the colour blue.

Buy the different plants in March and pot up for flowering in April and May. Takes about one hour. Plant in full sun.

What you need

Plants

  • Three deep blue hyacinths (Hyacinthus orientalis ‘Delft Blue’), in leaf, flower buds showing.
  • Five to seven Iris reticulata ‘Harmony’ in leaf.
  • Ten to twenty grape hyacinths (Muscari armeniacum).
  • Three small pots of Anemone blanda ‘Violet Star’.
  • One large pot of trailing variegated ivy (Hedera).

Materials

  • Three blue ceramic pots (or any other containers of your choice).
  • Two small terracotta pots.
  • One watering can with a wide mouth.
  • Enough soil-based potting compost to fill all the containers.
  • Broken crocks for drainage.
  • Horticultural grit or gravel (optional).
  • Trowel.

Instructions

1 Water all the plants thoroughly so the rootballs are moist right through. Line all the containers with a layer of broken crocks for drainage.

2 Start filling each container with compost. About halfway up, place the plant in its pot into the container to check for the right level. The top of the rootball should be about 4cm (1½in) below the rim of the container. Add more compost as needed.

3 Carefully tip each plant out of its pot, supporting the rootball and compost with your fingers on each side of the plant stems. Place in the container, firming in gently, then top up with more compost all round the plant, aiming to keep the top of the compost 4cm (1½ in) below the container rim. Firm the plant(s) again, then lift the whole container and tap or bump it gently against the ground to settle the compost and even it out all round.

4 Repeat the planting procedure for all the containers and plants. Water them all thoroughly using a fine rose on your watering can. If you like, scatter a layer of horticultural grit or gravel on top – this will keep weeds at bay, help to retain moisture and give a neat appearance.

5 Finally, position the newly planted containers in their allotted spot and wait for them to flower.

Tips
Choose a spot in full sun for the Anemone blanda – these only open fully when the sun is shining right on them.

Notes
When choosing your containers, bear in mind overall size and height. The aim is to have a range of sizes from short at the front to tall at the back.

Aftercare
Support the top-heavy hyacinths with discreet bamboo canes and soft string ties if needed. As with most bulbous plants, when the hyacinths, grape hyacinths and iris have finished flowering, allow the leaves to die back completely before lifting the bulbs/corms/rhizomes and planting in the garden. Alternatively, discard the old plants and replace next year with new.

Project taken from Seasonal Garden Ideas.

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