Tag Archives: Dairy Diary

Top 8 Colourful Gardens to Visit

Top Gardens to Visit

Colourful Gardens to Visit

The nights and mornings are getting lighter at last and it’s getting a little bit warmer. So now’s the time to think about venturing out, and enjoy what the UK has to offer.

This year’s edition of the Dairy Diary has a feature on colour in our gardens and also includes this list of stunning gardens to visit.

Gardens to Visit

The white garden at Sissinghurst, Kent

Hidcote, in Gloucestershire, famed for its twin red borders

The winter gardens at Dunham Massey, Cheshire

Great Dixter in East Sussex, for unusual colour schemes

Beth Chatto Gardens, Essex, for garden artistry

The herbaceous border at Arley Hall, Cheshire

Harlow Carr, the RHS garden in Yorkshire, pushing the boundaries of design and planting styles

Barnsdale Gardens, Rutland, described as a ‘theme park for gardeners’

Check opening times and facilities before visiting.

I can personally recommend Hidcote, which is just gorgeous, and Dunham Massey, which is at its best at this time of year.

You could forego the expensive afternoon tea on offer and instead take with you a flask and some scrummy melting moments.

Oatie Melting Moments recipe

Oatie Melting Moments

These cute, little, oaty biscuits are melt-in-the-mouth, and the perfect sweet treat alongside a hot drink. These delightful Oatie Melting Moments are from the Dairy Diary. For more delicious recipes visit the Dairy Diary Recipe Collection.

CLICK HERE FOR RECIPE

#gardens

#bakingbiscuits

#nationaltrust

Win this Krups Coffee Maker

Win this stylish Krups Coffee Maker

Dairy Diary is giving you the chance to enjoy delicious coffee in 25 seconds with this stylish Nespresso Inissia by Krups.

  • Compact and light: The light Nespresso machine with a trim profile fits in the smallest spaces
  • High-tech: Fast heating system reaches the ideal temperature in just 25 seconds
  • Energy efficient: Power save mode automatically switches machine off after 9 minutes of inactivity (programmable to 30 min)
  • Automatic and programmable water sizing

ENTER

#competition

#coffee

Recipe of the Week: Cauliflower ‘Rice’

This delicious side dish is gorgeous with lamb and gives you another of your five-a-day.

Who needs carbs when you have cauliflower?!

(And you can treat yourself to a biscuit afterwards!)

 

Cauliflower Rice

Cauliflower ‘Rice’

  • Servings: 3-4
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

Calories 76 per portion
Fat 3.6g (0.5g sat) per portion
Suitable for vegetarians

Ingredients

  • Cauliflower 1, broken into florets
  • Ground coriander 1 tsp
  • Olive oil 1 tbsp
  • Chopped mint 2-3 tbsp

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 200°C/180°fan/Gas 6. Place cauliflower florets into a food processor and pulse several times to give a rice-like texture.
  2. Season well and mix with coriander and oil, then spread on a baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes until it has a dry but fluffy texture.
  3. Stir in mint, season to taste and serve alongside your chosen fish or meat and vegetables.

 

#cauliflowerrice

#dairydiaryrecipe

10 Must-Visit Food & Drink Festivals

10 Must-Visit Food & Drink Festivals

As the wind has been buffeting the trees and the rain pelting the windows I’ve been making a food festival shortlist.


Having something to look forward to is a real mood-lifter to cheer up these dreary days.

In the UK we’re really lucky, as there is a myriad of food and drink festivals across the country to keep us nourished and entertained.

There’s everything from cheese
shows to garlic festivals and even
a Jam & Ham festival in Carluke!

So after some very pleasant research, here’s my shortlist of fab events to visit this year.


Gin Festival London
17-19 February

Held in the magnificent Tobacco Dock, there will be more than 100 gins, cocktails and masterclasses from industry experts. Chin chin.


Cambridgeshire Spring Crafts, Food & Gifts Fair
18-19 March

Heaven – all things foodie and crafty. This should be the perfect place to stock up on birthday gifts for the year. And it’s held in the arena at Wood Green Animal Charity, so the hire of the venue is supporting a very worthwhile cause.


Cocktails in the City – Leeds
6-7 April

Held in the iconic town hall, this event showcases cocktails from the best bars in the city and also includes a secret carnival, escape room and street food market. It looks intriguing and lots of fun!


Spring Tide Food Festival
20 May

A seaside food festival – what more could you want? On the spectacular Jurassic coast, this event pulls together some of the best local food, drink, art and entertainment.


Dales Festival of Food & Drink
17-18 June

Held in the birthplace of Wensleydale – the nation’s favourite cheese – this food festival boasts food stalls, cookery demonstrations, live music and a funfair as well as arts and crafts.


Gower Chilli Festival
22-23 July

As Gower is one of the prettiest places in the world, this is a must. The festival has great live music, chilli companies, cooking competitions, kids events, gourmet food, local crafts and street food too.


Nantwich Show & Cheese Awards
26 July

Boasting the International Cheese Awards, this show is famous in our locality. One of our former colleagues even judges the cheeses. It’s a traditional mix of food, farming and shopping with a huge cheese tent (that can get a little whiffy in hot weather!)


The Big Feastival
25-27 August

This festival is AMAZING! Last year was my first, but I loved every second of it. With gorgeous food, fabulous music, a laid back atmosphere and dancing to a DJ set from Blur’s Alex James. Pure bliss.


Ludlow Food Festival
8-10 September

I’ve eaten one of my most memorable meals in this delightful town and so a visit to its festival in on my must-do list. Held inside Ludlow Castle, it has more than 180 local food and drink producers.


Conwy Honey Fair
13 September

Founded by Edwards I, this fair has taken place on the 13th September for over 700 years! Held in the picturesque town centre, it’s a quaint mixture of honey, crafts, plants and gifts.

 

Of course, there’s much more to the UK than just food. Take a look on page 46 of the Dairy Diary to find out more about British festivals and some very strange folklore too.

We’re a quirky nation!

Which events are on your to-do list for this year?

 

#foodfestivals

#ginfestival

#oakleighfairs

#CITC

#springtidefestival

#dalesfestivaloffood

#gowerchillifestival

#icheeseawards

#nantwichshow

#thebigfeastival

#ludlowfoodfestival

#conwyhoneyfair

Best Ever Family Recipes: Easy Chicken Curry

Best Ever Family Recipes

Years ago, pre-children, I remember a food stylist and mum telling me one of the most stressful things about being a parent is trying to get children to eat well.

Three children later and I can relate to this adage more than I ever imagined. Despite the best of intentions, home-cooked pureed Annabel Karmel recipes and several desperate calls to my health visitor, my little tykes – one in particular – are unbelievably fussy.

Never EVER did I think I would allow my child to eat ketchup sandwiches (albeit, reduced salt/sugar on wholemeal bread) and serve fruit instead of vegetables. But I have to confess, that sometimes I do. Life has got so busy that I make meals that meet with the least resistance.

But! It’s a new year and a new
start: time to introduce those
finicky creatures to new tastes.

I’m going to enlist their help with this challenge as they always seem more likely to try new foods when they have cooked it themselves.

So for mums, dads, aunties, uncles, grannies and grandads everywhere, here’s the first (of many) #BestEverFamilyRecipes. I hope you and your little lovelies enjoy it.

Please feel free to share your family favourites; the more the merrier (use #BestEverFamilyRecipes).

Recipes from the Dairy Diary

Easy Chicken Curry

This curry is mild and sweet enough for little ones, and even sneaks in some butternut squash (chop the veggies really small). A Dairy Diary recipe. For more delicious recipes visit the Dairy Diary Recipe Collection.

CLICK HERE FOR RECIPE

For more recipes that the little ones will love, check out our Children-Friendly recipe collection here.

Recipe of the Week | Crispy Duck Salad

Crispy Duck Salad

This week’s recipe in the Dairy Diary is absolutely gorgeous and super-speedy too.

Cripsy Duck Salad

Crispy Duck Salad

The perfect winter salad and something a bit different. A Dairy Diary recipe. For more delicious recipes visit the Dairy Diary Recipe Collection.

CLICK HERE FOR RECIPE

Thanks to http://www.makemoreofsalad.com for supplying this recipe.

#recipeoftheweek

#wintersalad

#dairydiary

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