CHRISTMAS PUDDINGS

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This traditional Christmas pudding is rich and moist, and tastes divine. This recipe makes a large and small Christmas pudding, which can be stored for up to 6 months.
Serves 8.

INGREDIENTS

150g / 2 oz dried figs
125 g / 4 oz sultanas
125g / 4 oz raisins
125g / 4 oz glace cherries
125g / 4 oz pitted prunes
75g / 3 oz chopped nuts
125g / 4 oz plain flour
75g / 3 oz breadcrumbs
125g / 4 oz suet
125g / 4oz muscovado sugar
1/2 tea spoon Nutmeg
1/2 tea spoon Ground cloves
1 tablespoon mixed spice
1 tablespoon black treacle
150 ml brandy
2 eggs
Juice and zest of two oranges

METHOD
Place all the dried fruit into a bowl.  Pour over the brandy leave to soak for 2 hours, or preferably overnight.

Mix the suet, breadcrumbs, spices, sugar and flour together, and add in the nuts.  Add this to the soaked fruit mixture and stir well.  Mix in the treacle, eggs and orange and stir thoroughly.

Place the mixture into a two pint and a one pint pudding basin.  Flatten the top and cover with a round piece of greaseproof paper to seal. Cut a larger circle of greaseproof paper and fit over the top, securing the edges with string. Cover this with tin foil (allow extra foil for expansion) and secure with string.

Place in a pan of boiling water so that the pudding basin is three quarters immersed and boil for 3 hours, topping up the water as necessary.

Allow to cool.  Discard greaseproof and foil tops and replace with new. 

To cook, sit pudding in pan of boiling water and simmer for two hours

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PUMPKINS

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Native to North America pumpkins are similar to squashes and belong to the cucubitaceae family. The word pumpkin originates from the Greek for 'large melon'.

The fruit is defined by a thick, ribbed skin which contains the pulp and seed. They are usually coloured orange or yellow (although some are coloured grey, red, green or white). Pumpkin stems are angular and rigid, in contrass to the softer, rounded stems of squashes. Pumpkins bear short lived and brightly coloured flowers, with both male and female flowers appearing on the same plant.

Giant pumpkins

Pumpkins vary greatly in shape and size, and can weigh from less than a pound to over 1000 pounds.  The largest species of pumpkin is Cucurbita maxima. Competitions to grow giant pumpkins are popular.  The world record for a giant pumpkin is held by Chris Stevens and weighed a whooping 1,810 pounds!

If you wish to grow giant pumpkins, it is important have plenty of space - allow at least 3 metres between plants.  Select the right variety of seed, Cucurbita maxima.  This variety has been breed for size rather than taste. 

Plant your seeds in early April, keeping warm and well feed during the growing season.  Restrict the plant to three fruits, removing any additional flowers.  Later, select the best pumpkin to keep, and remove the other two. 

Pumpkins rot quite easily on the ground so sit your pumpkin on a pallet or pile of straw to prevent damage.  Ensure you protect against slugs too.  Lift the pumpkin in the autumn, ready for Halloween and all those giant vegetable competitions.

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WHAT IS HALLOWEEN

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Halloween occurs on 31st October and is a night where we celebrate ghosts, witches and spooky goings on by trick or treating, dressing up in costumes, carving pumpkins, watching horror films and telling spooky stories. But why do we celebrate Halloween? 

Halloween originates from 'All Hallow Even', the eve before All Hallows Day.  It is the night before All Saints Day, a catholic festival which occurs on the 1st November.  It is also the eve of the pagan Celtic festival Samhaim.

The Roman Catholic church made 1st November a church holiday to honour the saints.  The night before was the eve of All Souls Day when it was customary to pray for the dead.

The pagan Celts believed that evil spirits occupied the long winter nights. They believed that the barriers between the spirit world and our world were at their weakest on this night.  They would burn bonfires to ward the evil spirits away, whilst they feasted and danced around them.

Although All saints Day and Samhaim were widely celebrated in the past, Halloween is a recent tradition. It is first recorded in the 16th century, but gained increasingly in popularity in the 19th century.  Today it has become a popular evening and a key date in our winter calendar.


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PUMPKIN CARVING

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Its that time of year again and of course, you simply must take part in the Halloween festivities.  You may have been growing your pumpkin all summer waiting for this opportunity (like me!) or you may wish to buy a pumpkin from the shops.  Nevertheless, it all means the same thing; pumpkin carving.

Use a long, thin bladed knife to slice off the top of the pumpkin, cutting around the stem.  You need a hole large enough to allow you to scoop out the inside of the pumpkin; about two thirds of the diameter works best.  Whilst cutting the lid angle the knife so that the cut is made on the tilt, which will prevent the lid from falling into the hole.

Use a wooden spoon and your hands to remove the flesh and seeds from inside the pumpkin.

Select the best side of the pumpkin on which to carve the face.  Mark out the design with a black felt tip, to clearly show the parts of the pumpkin to be removed.  Carefully use the knife to cut around these shapes and push out any pieces to reveal the pattern.

Remove any pieces of flesh from inside the pumpkin and scrape the bottom flat.  Place a tea light inside a clear glass holder and position on the bottom of the pumpkin.

Spooky fun.

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LAWN CARE

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You dream of a lawn you can be proud of, but instead end up with a weedy mess. It is not as impossible as you think to obtain that lush, green carpet.  You just need to remember to carry out regularly a few essential tasks to maintain your lawn.

Mowing
This operation will take up most of your lawn maintenance time but it is essential to building up and maintaining a healthy grass sward. The varieties of grass in the lawn will change drastically if the height of the cut is lowered or raised for an extended period.

Begin cutting at the beginning of the grass season (end March/early April) till the end of the season (Oct/November).   A light topping of the grass may be required on several occasions during the winter. However, be aware that cutting too much grass in one go may result in shocking your lawn, which can result in an invasion of moss and weeds.  If the grass has grown particularly long between cuts then mow the grass in several stages, reducing the mower height on the second cut.

Grass growth is affected by soil fertility, grass vigour, grass type, weather and time of year. There is no right height for cutting grass as this depend on the type of lawn you have and the time of year.  You are aiming to keep the grass long enough to ensure the roots are not starved, but short enough to look neat.

As a general rule  the following heights can be a useful guide:
High profile lawn - cut weekly between 10-25 mm
Amenity lawn - cut fortnightly 25-50 mm
Woodland cut - cut three times a year to 50-100 mm
Meadow lawn - cut to 50 mm and collect grass arisings once a year after flowering.

Trim grass edges
Good design can help lower maintenance of lawns, and where a mower can run right to the edge of a lawn time will be saved. Edges next to beds, paths and tree pits will need to be trimmed regularly with edging shears to cut horizontally growing grass blades.

Worm casts
Squishing worm casts under foot can result in an uneven surface and the soil provides an ideal habitat for lawn weeds to establish. Brush away worm casts prior to mowing or apply a worm killer.

Water
With hose pipe bans in place almost every summer, it is comforting to know that, even though your lawn with slowly turn brown and resemble hay, that your lawn will recover in the autumn and will not be permanently damaged. You will only need to water newly laid lawns to help establishment. 

Feeding
Cropping of grass on a regular basis is a drain on the nutrients available in the soil.  A lawn feed applied prior to the growing season will help to prevent thin and sparse lawns.

Weed removal
Pull out occasional weeds by hand.  Treat larger areas of weeds with a weed killer as soon as possible.

Moss removal
Moss can be an indication of poor drainage or shading, so you will need to look at the underlying issues.  You could plant shade tolerate grass varieties for example or improve the drainage on your lawn. Apply a moss killer to treat larger areas and apply grass seed.

Thatch removal
Raking the lawn in spring and autumn will benefit your lawn by removing thatch, the build up of dead grass and debris. Build up of a thatch layer will create a semi waterproof cover which impedes proper aeration and the passage of rain.

Leaf removal
During the autumn remove all leaves from your lawn weekly.  If they are left on the lawn over winter they will kill the grass by forming a carpet that is impermeable to light and rain.

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STRUDEL RECIPE

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This is such a quick recipe but makes a lovely change to apple pie or crumble.


Ingredients

5 medium cooking apples
3 tablespoons of raisins
100g brown sugar
Breadcrumbs from 3 slices of bread
1 teaspoon cinnamon
50 g butter
Peel and juice from 1 orange
50 ml water
1 pack prepared filo pastry

Method

Preheat the oven to 200/400F/Gas 6. 

Peel the apples and cut into 1cm cubes.  Place into a pan with the water with the raisins and cinnamon and simmer for 10 minutes until the apple softens. Drain. Add the breadcrumbs to the mixture.

Melt the butter gently in a pan.  Place a sheet of filo pastry on a sheet of baking paper and brush gently with the melted butter.  Place another sheet of filo pastry on top and again brush with butter. Add a third sheet of filo pastry. 

Place the apple mixture in the pastry in a sausage shape and wrap the pastry around, folding the ends carefully to contain the filling.  Sprinkle with sugar.

Repeat the above using the remaining filo pastry and apple mixture.

Place in the oven for 30 minutes until golden brown and crispy.

Serve with vanilla ice cream.


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WEIGHT

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Over half of all adults in the UK are overweight. Weight is determined by a combination of factors and there is no ideal weight.  There is a wide range of healthy body weights so it is certainly not a case of one size fits all.

Often our body image is distorted and it can be difficult to get an accurate idea of our body size. There are a number of ways to help work out if you are a healthy weight.

Body Mass Index (BMI)
This matrix checks your height in relation to your weight.

Body Fat
This can be measure using body fat analysers, which pass a small electrical current through your body to determine the quantity of fat present.

Waist measurement
Excess fat around your waist increases your risk of heart disease and diabetes.

Other
Blood pressure, resting heart rate, blood cholesterol, fat and glucose tests are also useful indicators of weight.

CHANGING YOUR WEIGHT
Changes to your lifestyle could help to control your weight. Think about how you can make changes to your diet and physical activity over the long term.

Overweight
In order to lose weight calorie intake will have to be reduced and portion sizes of foods controlled. Men should not exceed 2500 calories a day, whereas women should aim to eat 2000 calories a day. By reducing your calorie intake by 500 calories a day you will see a steady loss in weight.  Women would only need to consume 1500 calories, and men 2000 calories.

Underweight
If you are underweight you need to increase the portion size of your food. Add some snacks between meals too such as nuts, dried fruit and breads . At mealtimes eat larger helpings of bread, cereal and potatoes.  Eat more foods which contain unsaturated fat such as oily fish, avocados and olive oil.

 

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5 A DAY PORTIONS

HISTORY OF THE LAWN

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Lawns have featured in Persian, Roman and Greek gardens for thousands of years.  The first detailed documentation dates back to 1300 AD from the continental manuscripts. All documentation from this time is derived from continental sources as British records do not exist. Italy and France lead the way with their grand gardens.

Details the medieval lawn are outlined in these manuscripts. To create a lawn, the site was cleared of all weeds and boiling water applied to the soil to sterilise the ground.  Turves were cut from good grassland and tamped down on level earth. Medieval lawns did not  solely consist of grass species but were interwoven with pinks, periwinkles, primroses and other plants to create a flowery mead.

The English lawn started within the walls of a castle, designed to provide a seating area where people could meet. The area included games such as bowls and pell-mell.  Outside the castle walls, Monastery gardens featured lawns within the cloisters.

During Tudor times the garden was a placed to be admired and adored.  Long grassy pathways were constructed and plats creates for bowls and other games.

The Jacobean age in 1610 featured the close cut lawn we associate with British gardens today.  Books advising on lawn maintenance appeared. 

British lawns during the 17th century were cut twice a month, rather than twice a year as carried out overseas.  This meant that the short, British lawns were the envy of foreign visitors.

During the 18th century the landscape garden was created, with Capability Brown leading the way.  Lawns were rolled and scythed regularly, trees planted and lakes created. 

The Victorian lawn in the 19th century belonged to the smaller villa gardens.  Gardens were filled with beds, terraces and statues.

Lawns required specialist maintenance and were expensive to maintain and so had no place in ordinary peoples gardens. They were maintained by methods such as scything, grazing by animals or beating down to suppress growth. Scything was hard work which required a dedicated team.  The lawn was rolled a few days prior to scything, a team was required to scythe the grass together and after cutting the clippings were gathered up and disposed.

The cylinder mower was invented in 1830 by Edwin Budding and Ransoms' went into production with this mower in 1832.  Suddenly, keeping grass short was a much quicker and less skilled task.  The first horse drawn mower appeared in 1842 and the steam mower in 1893. Petrol mowers were in use in the 20th century, followed by electric mowers in the 1960s.

Research into grass species, chemical use and machinery production continue and innovations are still evolving. The British are still very proud of their lawns, whatever size, and I don’t think that will cease for a while yet.


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RECIPE SPAGHETTI BOLOGNESE

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Ingredients

500g extra lean beef steak mince
1 onion
1 carrot
175 g / 6 oz mushrooms
1 garlic clove
3 sticks celery
400g canned chopped tomatoes
150ml / 1/4 pint red wine
2 tablespoons tomato puree
2 beef stock cubes
1 tablespoon chopped basil
1 tablespoon chopped oregano
Black pepper

Method

Chop the onion and garlic.  Place in a pan with the mince and cook gently until the mince is brown all over.

Chop the carrots, mushrooms and celery and add to the pan to cook for 5 minutes.  Add the tomatoes, tomato puree, herbs, stock, wine and pepper and stir.

Bring to boil then reduce heat and cover pan.  Simmer for 1 hour, then remove lid and simmer for 20 minutes to thicken sauce.

Bring a pan of water to the boil and add the spaghetti. Cook until al dente and drain. 

Add some olive oil and serve onto plates.  Add sauce.  Finish with freshly grated parmesan cheese and serve. 

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HERBACEOUS BORDERS

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Herbaceous plants are soft stemmed plants whose leaves and stems die down at the end of the growing season to the soil level.  They have no woody parts above ground and are dormant during the winter.

Herbaceous plants can be annuals, biennials or perennials. Annual plants will die completely at the end of the growing season, and will grow again from seed. Biennial plants such as foxgloves survive the winter until the second growing season, when they flower and die. New growth develops from living tissue such as roots or underground stems. Perennial plants such as peony and hosta survive from season to season. 

Herbaceous borders are steeped in tradition, and large country gardens often had pairs of herbaceous borders flanking long grass paths.  They were very popular right up until the Second World War when lack of labour led to many borders being dug up. Often, these borders were later replaced by lower maintenance mixed or shrub borders.

Borders are traditionally backed by tall hedges, often yew, to protect the herbaceous planting against wind and provide a stunning backdrop. They provide a succession of colour and flower for four months of the year, and are at their best mid summer to autumn.  During the winter period the borders will appear bare as the plants will die back to their rootstock.

Herbaceous borders within country estates were traditionally large, measuring 6m wide by 20 m long.  The size of the border can be scaled down to fit in a modern garden but in order to make a impact the border should be at least 1.5 m wide.

Plants within the border will require regular maintenance such as regular weeding and dead heading. Taller plants will require staking and all plant material will need to be cut down in the autumn.  Every three years many of the plants will require lifting and dividing to prevent bare patches in the centre of plants

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