"Home and Garden Tips"
  Home and Garden Tips #1: Supermarket Survival TacticsSupermarkets can drain your pocket, your energy and your time. Here are nine supermarket survival tips for successful supermarket shopping.... 1. Eat before you go - an empty stomach is sure to guide you towards the chocolate and snacks. 2. Don't take the kids! - they always find something they 'must have.' 3. Do it online - no petrol costs, no browsing the shelves wondering what treats to buy. 4. Prepare a detailed list - and stick to it! 5. Be brave and check out shop's own brand - some are good and often a lot cheaper. 6. Avoid sweets and snacks aisles - you don't NEED to visit these shelves - so don't. 7. BOGOF - Buy one get one free if you NEED it - not just because it's half-price - twice as much chocolate is twice the calories and sugar if not twice the cost. 8. Go on your own or with a good mate - on your own you can think more clearly, and a good mate can steer you in the right direction! 9. Don't 'pop-in' every day - if you have a freezer, a montly shop could work. Home and Garden Tips #2: Cut - Don't Chop!Rather than chopping herbs with a sharp kitchen knife and running the risk of cutting off the end of your finger, or even worse, your new acryllic nails :-), try using a regular pair of scissors. Scissors sold in stationery stores are usually light, easy to handle and fairly sharp. Have more control over your chopping board and less nail clippings! *Grow herbs on your windowsill as well as in the garden. Find out more about growing herbs at home on this page: Garden Herbs  Home and Garden Tips #3: Evict the Dead Heads!Sometimes the garden looks scruffy and you can't put your finger on why. Check for dead-heads, they lurk in the most unlikely places. Unless you are growing plants specifically for drying and using in craft projects or flower arranging, all dead heads in the garden need to go. Use a sharp pair of secateurs or shears and cut all dead stalks, flower heads etc; Checking for dead plants regularly will also help you keep in touch with the finer points of your garden and you'll spot the weeds as they come up, rather than later when they are spreading seed all over your vegetable patch. Evicting the dead heads tidies up the garden and allows more space for your newer plants. If you ever doubt the need for flowers, think about roses! Pop over to this page for more info about growing roses at home: Growing Roses  Home and Garden Tips #4: Dressing for summer!Rather than using regular or 'light' mayonnaise to dress your salads. Try experimenting with other healthier ingredients: *Natural yoghurt and creme fraiche mixed with chopped chives. *Olive oil and apple cider vinegar with a hint of dijon mustard. *Nut oils mixed with fresh chopped herbs Make your summer salads as tasty as possible. Leafy green vegetables are high nutritional food sources and the more interesting we make them to eat the more of them we eat!  What no chives??!! Get your seeds from Thompson and Morgan and start them off now... Home and Garden Tips - Chives from Thompson & Morgan UK Type 'chives' into the search box for their full range. Grow chives in the US with Gurneys:Gardening with Gurney's (US) (Choose 'vegetable seeds' then 'herb seeds') Home and Garden Tips #5: Designer LeftoversWhen you're pushed for time, designer leftovers can be a great help in the kitchen. Prepare your meals with two days in mind: *Bake too many jacket potatoes one day ... and slice and fry them the next. *Make a big pot of bolognaise ... and add some chilli spices on day two. *Roast a large chicken or turkey ... make a chicken salad or chicken curry on day two. *Steam or boil twice as many potatoes ... make a potato salad the next day. *Boil or steam rice one day ... rice salad or stir fried with veggies the next. Green salads don't keep well as they are high in water content, but there are many foods that will store successfully overnight, leaving you with less slaving over a hot stove. Experiment with one-pot cooking and include soups and stews in your menu. They store well and more vegetables can be added daily. If you can get your head round it, have a baking day once a month and freeze lots of home made meals. NB: All foods kept overnight should be properly cooled, covered and stored in the fridge. And meat products must be re-heated thoroughly until piping hot right through. More general home and garden tips and advice on this page: Home and Garden Tips and Advice Happy Gardening! Grow Your Own Winter Food: A good diet incorporating plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables is a must if you want to stay fit and healthy and keep the bugs at bay during the cold winter months. Growing your own winter food is just one way of ensuring you get the freshest, tastiest produce packed with goodness straight from the garden to the kitchen table. This easy-to-follow self-sufficiency book shows you how to grow your own fruit and vegetables for winter use and includes facts on each fruit, vegetable or herb as well as nutritional value, recipe ideas and storage suggestions.  Grow Your Own Winter Food is perfect for those with limited gardening experience, with gardens big or small who are looking to become more self-sufficient. Order it now direct from the publisher... Grow Your Own Winter Food Grow It, Cook It!: Many crops, including herbs, can be produced in a relatively small space with a little pre-planning and organizing: in containers, on a balcony, and indoors. Herbs are perfect for enhancing the flavour of cooking, treating minor ailments, and preventing colds and flu. Your own back garden will not only produce the best food on the planet for you and your loved ones, it is also economical, environmentally friendly and more fun than shopping. Gardening is more than a hobby; it's a way of life. .  This book provides all the information you need to keep your family and friends healthy, fit and enjoying life to the full. Order it now direct from the publisher... Grow It, Cook It! Grow Your Own Pharmacy: If, like me, you want to be able to eat the best food on the planet, grow your own!  • Clear instructions on planning, planting, growing and harvesting the fruits, vegetables and herbs required for a healthy vitamin intake. • Recipes and menus to help incorporate the fruit and vegetables into your daily diet. Grow Your Own Pharmacy Herbs and Spices: Some herbs grow vigorously, some are tender and need special growing conditions, some are annuals, some perennials, some you can grow indoors, all can be grown in pots or directly into the ground. There are also certain spices, such as chillies, that can be grown in temperate climates.  This clear and concise directory of herbs and spices provides all the essential information to help you grow a selection of these flavour-enhancing foods in small or large spaces. Ideas for which herbs and spices go best with which foods also accompany each description, so that you can really enliven your repertoire of recipes. Order it now direct from the publisher... Herbs and Spices Granny's Book Of Good Old Fashioned Common Sense is packed full of great ideas and tips. Granny brings traditional home-making up to date with cooking, gardening, needlecrafts and even games to play with the kids...Click on the link below to order your copy. ("This is a great home and garden tips coffee table book!")  Cooking doesn’t have to be a chore and preparing nourishing home cooked meals for the family will certainly keep them away from the goodie shelf. Gardening encourages physical exercise and a good healthy dollop of fresh air. And you can get the kids involved too. Before the days of computer games and electronic pets, children used to have fun without rummaging about in the fridge every five minutes. Enjoy a few rainy-day games and crafts of yesteryear with today’s kids. They’ll love it and so will you! Granny's Book Of Good Old Fashioned Common Sense Home and Garden Page Back To Flower and Garden Tips Homepage Click here to subscribe to "Creative Gardening" - Your FREE monthly ezine! www.flower-and-garden-tips.com/homeandgardentips.html |