You hear the phrases ‘infusions’ and ‘decoctions’ a lot when you are reading about herbal teas, yet it is rare that any of them actually give you an explanation of what they are.
We are just led to believe they are simply a different type of herbal tea.
But this is not strictly true.
For instance, I did a little looking around and found that infusions and decoctions are simply two different methods use to prepare herbal tea. Continue reading
Have you ever had that moment when you’ve gone to bed, thinking you’ll sleep beautifully only to find that you are still awake hours later as your brain cannot shut down? It’s frustrating isn’t it?
The more you want to go to sleep, the harder it is for you to relax. And no amount of counting sheep helps you to drop off! So what can you do?
Apart from asking someone to knock you out – believe me I nearly did this once – overcoming insomnia isn’t as simple as closing your eyes.
In fact you need to overcome whatever obstacle which is blocking you – stress, anxiety, depression…
Fortunately I have come across a unique recipe which may be able to help: Insomnia milk bath. Continue reading
Who says you cannot enjoy a tasty pancake and keep the pounds at bay? Well most nutritionists actually, but just because most pancakes are fried and contain sinful fillings, doesn’t mean all pancakes are bad.
In fact I have discovered a delicious pancake recipe which can help to lower your cholesterol, improve your metabolism and eliminate fat– buckwheat pancakes. Continue reading
So what better than to offer your partner the luxury of getting a sensual massage from yours truly this Valentines? It is certain to put a smile on their face. Plus it is incredibly easy to do! Continue reading
It’s true…
We may all joke about getting the ‘winter blues’ but seasonal affective disorder is a real condition that affects thousands of people across the world. Continue reading
Firstly I should say that you could in fact butcher the whole chicken yourself if you have a sharp knife and a vague idea of what you are doing. I however do not, so instead I just put the whole chicken in the oven and roast it in the normal way. The Hedgerow way is to rub butter, salt and pepper into the skin, insert some lemon quarters and roast for 20 minutes per pound and sometimes 20 minutes over a la Delia Smith. You can enjoy a delicious meal of roast chicken served with potatoes, vegetables and a splash or two of gravy. This is meal one with the chicken and it’s delicious.
Meal 2 involves the leftovers and you will surprised as to how much there actually are. I always attack the carcass as soon as dinner is over so that’s done and isn’t left waiting for me to get around to it. Just get stuck in with your hands removing all the little pieces that are left. I can usually fill a cereal bowl full of leftover meat even if it appears most of the chicken has been scarfed so it’s definitely worth doing. Cooked chicken freezes very well or it can be left covered in the fridge. The next day it can be used in a casserole, stir fry, quiche, sandwich, soup, baked potato or as topping for homemade pizza.
Finally you can turn your attention to the carcass itself. Because there is a bit of effort involved in being frugal with a chicken, I find that roasting it initially on a friday night is a good idea. Then I can remove the leftovers the same night and boil up the carcass on the saturday while I get on with other things around the house. So, what to do with the carcass? Simply place it into a pot with one or two chunks of vegetable. Celery, carrot and onion are the traditional ones to use so who am I to argue. Cover with cold water so everything is submerged and bring up to the boil. Once you have brought the pan to a fast boil, turn the heat down and simmer for a few hours. It will need at least four hours.
When it’s “done” you can remove the large lumps and yes finally throw them away. The rest should be strained through a sieve so you are left with a lump free stock. This can also be frozen for future use. It can be used in any recipe where you would normally throw in a stock cube. Soups, casseroles, curries…anything that needs a bit of flavoured water. You can even cook your vegetables in it to give them a bit of oomph.
Another way we are exploring reducing our food costs is by having a few meatless meals which is something you may be considering too. This will be a future post however. I hope everyone’s Christmas preparations are going well. We are mostly ready, just a few Christmas goodies to make nearer the time.
The kids on the other hand don’t want to change light fittings and they don’t like the idea of helping me hang the new curtains. Instead I’ve come up with some ideas that could keep them occupied over the next few weeks. If you too have bored, restless children at home then feel free to pinch these ideas for yourself.
Scrapbooking
A good way of encouraging creativity in children is through scapbooking. As well as using snippets from magazines and newspapers they can use photos and even pictures and drawings they’ve done themselves. A scrapbook can be a fun and visual way of keeping a diary or it can be just a collection of random items that look nice to them.
Trace the Family Tree
I saw this idea on the internet last week and thought it was a rather lovely idea. It’s always nice for children to know about their family and so why not start them on a family tree project? By talking to grandparents and other members of the family they could begin to build up a picture of where they came from. They can also create their own family tree and fill in the blanks as they go.
Making Christmas Decorations
Christmas is around the corner and let’s face it, homemade decorations are much more precious than shop bought ones. From spraying pine cones in gold and silver to creating salt dough decorations, this is a great way to while away the hours. This will more than likely involve at least one adult however so make sure you’ve got time spare for this one too.
Monopoly
This game lasts for hours. If you haven’t got monopoly in the house or your kids have not come across it yet, winter is the time to introduce it. It is perfect for long, cold, wintry afternoons. The older kids can help the younger kids too leaving your time free to keep decorating or fixing the light fittings.
Prepare a winter picnic
If you suggest a picnic they might look at you like you’re mad. Personally however I love sitting under blankets with a fire going enjoying a warm snack. The kids could help prepare the food which could include soup, toasted sandwiches, warm homemade bread and biscuits still warm from the oven. Then all you need are warm clothes, blankets and ideally a place to light a fire. Choosing an afternoon or evening with no rain forecast is a good idea too. Alternatively you could use the fire to cook the food – sausages and marshmallows can be held in the flames to cook them.
There is a good selection of ideas here. I don’t know whether all of these ideas will go down well with my brood but at least I feel ready to tackle any “I’m bored” moments with a suggestion or two.
If anyone has any other ideas on keeping children entertained over winter I would love to hear them.
I am always eager to ensure the whole family stays as healthy as possible during the winter months. This can sometimes be an uphill battle particularly when it comes to encouraging exercise. I can understand why no one is in the mood to head on outside for a brisk walk but exercise is one of the most important ways to boost our immune systems and keep our whole body healthy during winter. Exercise also improves our mood and helps prevent bickering between the children in this house who tend to start when they have been cooped up inside for too long.
Here are the measures that I take to keep everyone in this house healthy and strong over winter.
Orange Juice and Porridge for Breakfast
I bulk buy oranges and satsumas which are in season during winter and squeeze them for juice every morning. I use an electric juicer for this as by hand it would take far too long. If you don’t like too many bits in your juice you can pass it through a sieve to remove them. I also make a pan of porridge every morning too using plenty of milk. Milk and other dairy products are also helpful when it comes to keeping healthy over winter.
Exercise
I’ve mentioned this briefly already but exercise really is the key to a strong immune system. My favourite type of exercise that the whole family can enjoy is a brisk walk around the local area. I sometimes make a list of items for the children to collect as we go offering a prize to the one who collects all the items first. Other good forms of exercise are ice skating, indoor swimming and of course tobogganing when it snows.
Out with Salads, in with Vegetables
Salads are fantastic in summer but do not meet our nutritional requirements in winter. Winter food should largely consist of stews, casseroles and soups. I always buy plenty of seasonable produce from the local farmers markets so that every meal has at least three portions of vegetables in it.
Earlier Nights
Winter is a good time to get more sleep. It is naturally a time when we want to sleep more anyway and we encourage this in our house by serving dinner a little earlier in the evenings. That way the evening routine and bedtime naturally occurs slightly earlier for everyone during the winter months.
Take Supplements
To provide the body with an additional boost, it can be a good idea to take supplements. There are special supplements available for children. Here is a brief guide to some of the most popular and common supplements taken over the winter period.
Vitamin C: Helps prevent colds and flu and keeps the immune system healthy.
Echinacea: Stops colds, flu and tonsillitis too. It can help fight infections by increasing the number of white blood cells in the body.
Zinc: Anti-viral and strengthens the immune system.
Garlic: Helps prevent colds during winter.
Although snuffles and runny noses can’t completely be prevented over winter, a good seasonal diet and plenty of exercise means that serious cold and flue symptoms can generally be kept at bay.
The new Baldwin’s catalogue is being sent out on Monday 5th December. You can download a copy here but prices take effect from the 5th. This is therefore your last chance to buy at the current prices!
It is only mid November, but if you are planning on making this Christmas a homemade Christmas then now is the time to start preparing. We’ve made some preliminary plans so far and I’m pleased to say they involve the whole family.
Presents
It’s not possible to make homemade presents for everybody, but for a good deal of them we can. My wife has purchased a soap making kit and plans to create some lovely homemade soaps for various family members. Homemade food gifts are another idea we’ve had. These are a great idea for those members of the family you really struggle to buy for and because of the effort involved it really shows you care! We’re going to make uncooked chocolate cake, cut into squares and tie small pieces of ribbon around each square to make them look like presents. We’ll place them in a box on tissue paper and hey presto, a beautiful and delicious gift.
Anything can be made into a delicious food gift, the key is in the packaging. Use beautiful glass jars, tins or boxes and attach a homemade label. Anything can become a food gift when decorated this way – homemade jams, cakes, biscuits, even homemade mustard. You could also make flavoured olive oils, marinated olives or spice rubs for meat.
Wrapping Paper
Rather than buying expensive wrapping paper this year bought especially for the occasion, we’re going to use brown parcel paper tied up with string. This is cheap, recyclable and eliminates the need for selotape too. To decorate each present I’ll attach something lovely from the garden. Holly would be ideal but I worry about the sharp leaves! Perhaps I’ll use sprigs of mistletoe or other greenery from the garden.
Christmas Cards
I’ve never been a big fan of Christmas card sending. Sending people cards or receiving cards from those who you never speak to from one year to the next just doesn’t quite sit well with me. It also generates a huge amount of additional waste. This year we are going to make phone calls instead of sending cards. I think this is much more fun and more meaningful too.
House Decorations
The kids will be heavily involved with decorating the house. I thought we could make some salt dough decorations for the tree and maybe spray paint some pine cones, nuts and other Christmassy bits and bobs. We can collect items from the garden and local area to make a wreath for the door and a big centrepiece for the table too. I also want to try drying some orange slices to hang on the tree. Hopefully they’ll smell nice as well as look good.
So as you can see there is a lot to do but it should be good fun. This weekend I think we’ll make a start on the decorations for the house with the children. The soap making is already well underway I’m pleased to report, although so far nothing has been produced that we could give as a gift.
