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Behind the scenes of the Dairy Diary – meet the team

Once a month, I will give you a behind the scenes look at the Dairy Diary and you can meet the team.

We are a small group but each
one of us is very different…..
this week we meet Nick, THE BOSS!

Nick Rowe is our Executive Editor and has been working on the Dairy Diary for more than 15 years!

He is based in our Cheshire office or Eaglemoss North as he likes to call it.

Here are a few facts about Nick:

What is your role within Dairy Diary? I manage, and make sure we have a wonderful team to put the best product together we can, each and every year!

What’s the best thing about working on the Dairy Diary? Trying all the brand new recipes.

What’s the worst thing about working on the Dairy Diary? Managing the Managing Editor (ha ha says me, Managing Ed!)

Tell us something we don’t know about you. I have played in a game of football against Martin Peters* (but I am a lot younger than him!). I once showed the Dairy Diary to the Countess of Wessex – but she doesn’t cook!

What are your favourite things in life? Fuller’s beer and Adnam’s beer.

Beef WellingtonWhat is your favourite Dairy Diary
or Dairy Cookbook recipe?

Beef Wellington from
Around Britain Dairy Cookbook

 

 


* Martin Peters, MBE, scored England’s second goal in their 4:2 victory against Germany in the  1966 World Cup final.

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Win a copy of The Dairy Book of Home Cookery

Win a copy of The Dairy Book of Home Cookery

The Dairy Book of Home Cookery is loved by millions of cooks and has been brought right up to date for 2012.

Featuring 900+ recipes from soups to desserts, including baking and confectionery. 

This is an essential cookbook for both novice and experienced cooks.

Click here to enter the competition.

Treat your Mum on Mother’s Day

Happy Mother's Day

Recently, I chanced upon the most fantastic vintage tearoom in Manchester’s Northern Quarter.

http://www.sugarjunction.co.uk/

Not only were the cakes and bakes delicious, they were served with a delectable array of beverages on the most exquisite crockery. Even the waitress looked ultra glam in fifties-style dress with sassy red lips.

My friends and I enjoyed a lovely hour or two chatting and soaking up the atmosphere, and also planning our own vintage tea party.

What better excuse for a tea party than Mother’s Day?
Get all the generations together, prepare some tiny sandwiches, bake some delicious morsels and serve with a proper pot of tea, or even some real homemade hot chocolate. Make it extra special with a table cloth, pretty china and homemade bunting! You can make this easily by stringing up triangles of paper or fabric cut with pinking shears.

You can even improvise a cake stand if you don’t have one with china plates and upturned glasses or teacups. http://www.allaboutyou.com/craft/knit-free/make-a-cakestand-from-a-tea-set-54284

After you have practised on your own mum, why not hold a BIG tea party, in aid of charity? March is Ovarian Cancer Awareness month and the Eve Appeal is encouraging people to hold a tea party to raise money for this extremely worthy cause. http://www.eveappeal.org.uk/media-centre/make-time-for-tea/

 

Chocolate Whisky CakeFrom our Around Britain Dairy Cookbook,
enjoy this gorgeous Chocolate Whisky Cake
plus these Sumptuous Sandwiches.

 

Top Ten Aromatherapy Oils

Top 10 Aromatherapy Oils

I like to think of myself as quite grounded and logical, not someone who is swayed by anything non-tangible. However, I am a strong believer in the power of aromatherapy.

During life’s low points, physical or emotional, they really can help.

Many years ago, we featured an article on aromatherapy in the Dairy Diary. It seemed like the perfect excuse to give it a go. It works wonders for me in times of stress (it even helped me feel better during fertility treatment).

Here’s the low-down:

Cedarwood
Is a powerful antiseptic and mild astringent.
■ This oil is good for treating acne: See 2, 4 or 7.
■ To improve bronchitis and respiratory problems: See 1, 4, 7, or 9.
■ To help control dandruff: See 5.
■ To calm nervous tension: See 1, 6 or 7.

Chamomile
Is an anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antiseptic and disinfectant.
■ To soothe dull aches and pains: See 2 or 7.
■ To treat acne: See 2 or 6.
■ To calm anxiety and PMT or treat insomnia: See 1, 7, 9 or 10.
■ To treat indigestion: See 1 or 7.
■ To help control and soothe eczema: See 1 or 2.
■ To help treat a tension headache or migraine: See 1, 5, 6, 7 or 9. 

Eucalyptus
Is an antiseptic, anaesthetic and bactericidal.
■ To relieve a chest infection or catarrh, colds and flu: See 1, 5, 6, 7 or 9.
■ To help control high blood pressure: See 5, 6, 7 or 9. 

Frankincense
Is an astringent, anti-inflammatory and pulmonary antiseptic.
■ Can help with cystitis: See 1 or 7.
■ To bring calm in stressful situations: See 1, 5, 7 or 9.
■ To rejuvenate dry or mature skins: See 1, 2 or 6.
■ To help colds, coughs and bronchitis: See 1, 5 or 6.
■ To calm and uplift, when suffering from mild depression: See 1,5 or 7.
■ To help control blood sugar levels in diabetes: See 1 or 7.
■ To relieve discomfort associated with shingles: See 1 or 7. 

Jasmine
Is an effective antiseptic, diuretic and detoxifier.
■ To help with emotional pain and baby blues: See 1, 5, 7 or 9.
■ To ease symptoms in the early stages of flu: See 1, 3, 5, 6 or 7.
■ To ease period pain: See 1 or 7. 

Juniper
Is a diuretic and detoxifier.
■ To boost circulation and help with cellulite: See 1 or 7.
■ To calm emotions and help with confusion: See 1, 5 or 7.
■ To help with eczema: See 2. 

Lavender
Is an analgesic, antidepressant, decongestant, antibiotic, antiseptic and sedative.
■ To help prevent scarring from minor burns: See 2.
■ For insomnia: See 1, 5, 7 or 10.
■ To calm and soothe PMT: See 1, 5, 6, 7 or 9.
■ To treat acne, stings and eczema: See 2. 

Patchouli
Is an antidepressant, antiseptic, anti-inflammatory and stimulant.
■ To treat Athlete’s Foot or cracked skin: See 3 or 7.
■ To control dandruff: See 4. 

Peppermint
Is a stimulant and antiseptic.
■ To freshen breath: See 8.
■ To stimulate the mind: See 5. 

Rosemary
Is a stimulant, analgesic, antiseptic and astringent.
■ To soothe aches and muscular tension following exercise: See 7.
■ To help alleviate rheumatism and arthritis pain: See 1, 2 or 7.
■ To treat spots: See 2 or 6.

How to administer each essential oil

1 Bath Add 5 drops of essential oil to the bathwater, lie back and relax.

2 Compress Add a drop of oil to 1 litre (1¾ pints)of warm water and lay a piece of gauze on thesurface of the water. Place the gauze onto theaffected area and leave for 10 minutes.

3 Footbath Add 3 drops of oil to a bowl of warm water and soak feet for 15 minutes.

4 Hair rinse Add 1 or 2 drops of oil to 1 litre (1¾ pints) warm water and use as a final rinse.

5 Handkerchief Put a few drops of oil onto a handkerchief or tissue and inhale when required.

6 Inhalation Once a week, add up to 10 drops of oil to a bowl of hot water, put a towel over the head and inhale the steam.

7 Massage Add 10 drops of pure essential oil to 20ml (¾fl oz)of sweet almond or grape seed oil and rub into the skin.

8 Mouthwash Add 1 drop of oil to ½  litre (18fl oz) of water, swill around the mouth and spit out.

9 Oil burner Add up to 5 drops of oil to water in an oil burner.

10 Pillow Put a couple of drops of oil on your pillow just before you go to bed.

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It’s St David’s Day but why the daffodil?

Not only is it new sofa day (sorry, I am quite excited!) on Thursday, it’s also St David’s Day.

David was a Celtic monk who lived in the 6th century. He was one of the early saints who helped to spread the word about Christianity in Pagan Britain. He also founded a monastery (in the place now known as St David’s), which helped to clothe and feed the poor.

St David’s Day has been celebrated ever since 1120, when David was canonised by the Pope.

St David’s is a lovely, miniature city, with a particularly spectacular cathedral. I have fond memories of wandering its lanes surrounding the ecclesiastic buildings, enjoying the sunshine and quiet whilst getting a very tiny little one off to sleep.

So, why is the daffodil worn to commemorate St David’s Day?

In comparison with the ancient Welsh associations of the leek, the daffodil has only recently assumed a position of national importance. An increasingly popular flower during the 19th century, especially among women, its status was elevated by the Welsh-born prime minister David Lloyd George, who wore it on St David’s Day in 1911.

 

Fancy a go at some St David’s Day crafts with the children or grandchildren?

I am going to give these Activity Village ideas a try:

http://www.activityvillage.co.uk/handprint_daffodil.htm perfect for the twins.

http://www.activityvillage.co.uk/bunch_of_daffodils.htm great for Isaac (provided he can be tempted away from the train track for long enough!)

Have fun!

 

Sausage and Leek Supper

I think this is the most requested recipe of all time. People absolutely love it and, despite mislaying their book, can’t live without it! Enjoy it everyone, it’s perfect for St David’s Day and it’s legendary.

CLICK HERE FOR RECIPE

A recipe from The Dairy Book of Home Cookery. For more delicious recipes visit the Dairy Diary Recipe Collection.

Handmade Valentine’s Card

There’s something really special about receiving a card that has been handmade.

It may not have cost as much, but the thought and time that has gone into it account for a lot more.

I have probably rabbited on about it in the past, but cardmaking is one of my favourite pastimes.

Here’s the one I have made for my fantastic other half (I hope he doesn’t read the blog today!)

If you would like to give it a go, just follow the steps below. It’s so simple; just make sure you have materials with different patterns of the same colour.

1 First cut a square of card and several pieces of ribbon a little longer than the length of the card. Using tape, attach several pieces of ribbon all along one side on the back of the card.

2 Stick down one length of ribbon on the back of an adjacent side and then weave through the other ribbons. Stick the other end to the back. Repeat.

3 Cut 2 or 3 pieces of paper that coordinate with your ribbons. Using double-sided tape, affix one on top of the other and fix onto a blank card.

4 Glue a heart embellishment in the centre of your woven ribbons. Tadaa!

I am sure your loved-one will love it. Enjoy your special time together.

Indulge in a decadent dessert on Valentine’s Day

Try this Chocolate Mousse
from this year’s Dairy Diary.

 

 

 

 

Win Clever Cooking for One or Two

Clever Cooking for One or TwoThis week, we have 10 copies of
Clever Cooking for One or Two
to give away.

Lots of perfect food for couples.

Click here to enter

 

 

Happy Valentine’s Day everyone.

Accession of Queen Elizabeth II

http://www.facebritain.org.uk/

Today is the accession of Queen Elizabeth II. How hard must it have been for her 60 years ago?

At just 25 not only did she have to cope with the death of her father, but also take on the responsibility of becoming queen!

After watching the King’s Speech it’s really made me think about what their lives might be like. As a member of the Royal Family pretty much everything is in the public eye, especially grief. I am VERY glad that I am a mere commoner!

Face Britain

Of course, this year sees the Diamond Jubilee and plans are in full swing to commemorate the event in style. One of my favourite is Face Britain, a national project that invites all young people in the UK to submit a self-portrait.

The artwork will be part of a world record attempt and hopefully the biggest online gallery of self-portraits in the world. All portraits will go into the online gallery and be part of a special portrait of HM The Queen, which is going to be projected onto Buckingham Palace!

Embarrassing I know, but I had to remind myself
(with the trusty Dairy Diary) how many years the
diamond represents! Yes it’s 60……I’ll get my coat.

For others like me, here’s a list of anniversary dates:

 

No celebration would be complete without a special cake.
Here’s a gorgeously retro one to cook for your special occasion.

Black Forest Gateau
Or just as a treat for yourself! Enjoy….

 

 

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