Top Tips

Christmas countdown

It’s the last week in November and the Christmas countdown has begun. Today I opened my brand new Dairy Diary for the first time and added next year’s holiday dates – two booked already, how fantastic!

It may just be my obsessively organisational nature but there is something lovely about opening a new diary and filling in all your details – with your best writing pen and handwriting of course! Then two weeks’ later the book is full of lots of scribbled notes in several different pens!

It’s been a very industrious and Christmassy weekend, with craft projects and ‘Stir-up Sunday’ – traditionally, the day when Christmas puddings are made – with the whole family joining in to ‘stir-up’ the mixture. We made delicious Calypso puddings from the 2010 Dairy Diary, refreshingly different with pineapple and mango as well as prunes and apricots.

 

Home-made Christmas card

Isaac's Christmas card

Working on the 2011 Dairy Diary, with its card-making feature, has inspired me to make cards for loved ones this year. I’m afraid time as a working mum doesn’t allow for all my cards to be home-made but the special people in our lives will get mummy-commissioned cards made by my son, who will be two in December. First we found all the buttons cut from my clothes over the past ten years (some in frightening colours and patterns!) and sorted them into colours. I drew a triangle on a ready-made card and Isaac spread the triangle with glue and covered it with buttons, placing an extra one underneath for the ‘trunk’.

He thoroughly enjoyed himself with gluing and sticking and they looked surprisingly good. The most effective card is a shocking pink with black buttons (especially for Auntie Claire according to Isaac!). Let’s hope Auntie Claire isn’t reading this…….

 

Autumnal offerings

We enjoyed a pleasant walk via local footpaths recently and the children were intrigued by the fattening blackberries on their brambles.
It’s one of the first signs of autumn, which officially begins tomorrow. We will make a special trip – armed with baskets – to pick these delicious fruits when they are fully ripened. With a young toddler, I might need to consult my Dairy Diary stain removal page after our excursion!
It’s wonderful though to be able to enjoy the bounty of our countryside, from picking through to cooking and eating. I might try a bramble jelly this year and I will certainly have a go at the Blackberry and Apple Tartlets recipe – yum. Any more blackberry recipe suggestions gratefully received!
In Britain, in was once considered unlucky to pick blackberries after a certain date, often Michaelmas (29th September), as it was believed the devil would have spat or stamped on them. I don’t think I will be passing that little nugget of folklore on to my son during our forages!
I absolutely adore this season, with crisp sunny walks through rustling leaves, warming autumnal soups, the excitement of bonfire night and fireworks, and the changing colours of the countryside. I can’t wait to try leaf prints with Isaac when they start to fall from the trees – perfect for making cards for those who enjoy autumn Birthdays. It’s times like these when I love living in Britain with our varied weather and beautiful scenery.

We enjoyed a pleasant walk using local footpaths recently and the children were intrigued by the fattening blackberries on their brambles.

It’s one of the first signs of autumn, which officially begins tomorrow. We will make a special trip – armed with baskets – to pick these delicious fruits when they are fully ripened.

With a young toddler, I might need to consult my Dairy Diary stain removal page after our excursion!

Plump blackberries ripe for picking

Plump blackberries ripe for picking

It’s wonderful though to be able to enjoy the bounty of our countryside, from picking through to cooking and eating. I might try a bramble jelly this year and I will certainly have a go at the Blackberry and Apple Tartlets recipe – yum.

In Britain, in was once considered unlucky to pick blackberries after a certain date, often Michaelmas (29th September), as it was believed the devil would have spat or stamped on them. I don’t think I will be passing that little nugget of folklore on to my son during our forages!

I absolutely adore this season, with crisp sunny walks through rustling leaves, warming autumnal soups, the excitement of bonfire night and fireworks, and the changing colours of the countryside. I can’t wait to try leaf prints with Isaac when they start to fall from the trees – perfect for making cards for those who enjoy autumn Birthdays. It’s times like these when I love living in Britain with our varied weather and beautiful scenery.

Do you have a favourite blackberry recipe that you would like to share? Click the “Leave a comment” link below.

Great-value gifts

In the current economic climate, almost everyone wants to buy great quality gifts at a very reasonable price; well it’s no different in the Dairy Diary office. In the next month we will commence research on the contents of our next giftpack, so we have been trying to create a shortlist of good products at a price we can afford. This year’s giftpack is already proving to be exceptionally popular, with its wooden bookstand – perfect for trying out recipes from the diary or cookbook, or simply for displaying your diary’s weekly events. But how can we improve on that within budget? Any ideas will be gratefully received!
It’s no different in my house either, although I still buy gifts for friends and relations, I have less to spend now and often supplement the bought gift with a home-made present. Although my friends may disagree, I hope it shows I am not too stingy but also take time to make something personal. I often use inexpensive glass beads (in their favourite colour of course), to make bracelets for female friends. For my son’s Birthday I am going to paint a large floor mat with fields, roads, rivers, a farm and a village – something perfect for all his beloved animal and transport toys.
Here’s a divine recipe for Luxury Florentines that I am going to try as a treat for my friends, wrapped in cellophane and ribbon they should look very pretty and taste fabulous too!
I’d love to know about any of your home-made gifts ideas and of course anything you have been wanting to see in the Dairy Diary giftpack.

In the current economic climate, almost everyone wants to buy great quality gifts at a very reasonable price.

Well it’s no different in the Dairy Diary office. In the next month we will commence research on the contents of our next giftpack, so we have been trying to create a shortlist of good products at a price we can afford.

This year’s Dairy Diary Giftpack is already proving to be exceptionally popular, with its wooden bookstand – perfect for trying out recipes from the diary or cookbook, or simply for displaying your diary’s weekly events. But how can we improve on that within budget?

Do you have a great idea for next year’s giftpack? Let me know by clicking on the “Leave a Comment” link at the end of this post.

It’s no different in my house either, although I still buy gifts for friends and relations, I have less to spend now and often supplement the bought gift with a home-made present. Although my friends may disagree, I hope it shows I am not too stingy but also take time to make something personal.

I often use inexpensive glass beads (in their favourite colour of course), to make bracelets for female friends. For my son’s Birthday I am going to paint a large floor mat with fields, roads, rivers, a farm and a village – something perfect for all his beloved animal and transport toys.

Take a look at this divine recipe for Luxury Florentines that I am going to try as a treat for my friends – wrapped in cellophane and ribbon they should look very pretty and taste fabulous too!

I’d love to know about any of your home-made gifts ideas, so click on the “Leave a Comment” link below.

National days

Who on earth creates and legislates (if they are?) these ‘National Something Ridiculous’ Days?

Recently on Twitter I have seen National Tapioca Pudding Day, National Blueberry Muffin Day and National Piña Colada Day!

Surely, these must have been made up by some over zealous (or desperate) marketing agency?

Believe it or not the humble ploughman’s lunch was also created in the sixties by an advertising agency to promote the traditional pub lunch! I certainly don’t take exception to this though, as there’s nothing nicer on a warm summer’s day than sitting in the beer garden of a country pub enjoying a delicious wedge of cheese with pickle and a hunk of bread – washed down with a cold half pint!

Have a go at this gorgeous Chutney – no ploughman’s lunch is complete without it. It’s well worth the effort. Let me know how you get on.

Museums and mini beasts

I simply must rave about my local museum. My son and I had a day off together as my childminder (otherwise known as Mum and Dad) is on holiday.

Isaac and I decided to dodge the rain and try out a new exhibition at the museum. We were there for hours! It was wonderful!

There were so many hands-on exhibits for Isaac – magnifying glasses for examining mini beasts, dressing-up costumes, puzzles, crayons, Velcro pictures and much more. I am so glad I have encouraged museum visits in my recent Family Fun feature for the 2011 Dairy Diary.

Museums are not just for kids of course – there was plenty for me to learn too! Our lunch in the café was very disappointing though, dishes home-made from local ingredients (as you would expect) were sadly lacking. We opted to share a soggy jacket potato and beans followed by a very dry and definitely not home-made scone. Next time I think we will take a picnic and bake our own scones.

Drop in to your local museum next time you have a rainy day and let me know what it’s like (you might want to take these fabulous Wholesome Raisin Scones with you though!)

Dairy Diary Chat official launch

Welcome to the official launch of Dairy Diary Chat and your chance to win a copy of the new Dairy Cookbook.

Some of you may know that we have been testing the blog online for a few weeks now. Well everything is running smoothly, so here we are and we’ll be posting a new blog each week from now onwards! And to celebrate we are giving away 20 copies of Just One Pot, the new Dairy Cookbook – to enter read on!

So what can you expect in the coming months?

  • All the latest news from the Dairy Diary and Dairy Cookbook office.
  • A free recipe each week to tempt your tastebuds.
  • A growing library of recipes for further inspiration.
  • Hints and tips for the kitchen and around the home
  • Swap ideas with other Dairy Diary and Dairy Cookbook readers.
  • Suggest recipes, hints and tips for future publications.
  • Comment on all blog topics and recipes.

One idea we would like to explore is the possibility of an online reference section that expands on the excellent information already found in the Dairy Diary. Obviously we can only publish so much in the Dairy Diary – so what extra would you like to be able to find here?

Or what about a cookery workshop section where you can find “how to” instructions, specialist techniques, short-cuts and “secret ingredients” to ensure success in the kitchen?

To do all this we need your help! Do you have suggestions, great ideas or a little wisdom to share with your fellow readers? Yes? Well, here is your opportunity to do so.


Win a copy of Just One Pot

Win a copy of Just One Pot

Win a copy of Just One Pot, the new Dairy Cookbook.

We are giving away 20 copies of Just One Pot exclusively to Dairy Diary Chat readers. From snacks to glorious desserts, Just One Pot will show you how to create fresh, home-cooked food without lots of pots and pans. Delicious recipes that use just one pot each. Fabulous food with less fuss!

Click here to enter the competition.

Good luck. And don’t forget to bookmark this blog and visit again next week.

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