The first thing I made was this blackberry sponge cake with cream. Trust me this is so delicious you will be hard pressed to get a piece once the family see it.

• 200gms self raising flour
• 200gms butter, softened
• 200gms caster sugar
• 2tsp vanilla extract
• 4 eggs
• 300ml double cream
• 200gms blackberries and 3 handfuls for the cream

1. Preheat the oven to 180C or Gas mark 4.
2. Beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. I use a hand blender for this.
3. Add the eggs one at a time as you continue to mix.
4. Once mixed together add the extract.
5. Stop blending if using a hand blender then slowly fold in the blackberries. Remember to keep 3 handfuls for the cream.
6. Slowly fold in the flour. Keep folding the ingredients together until you have a batter like consistency. As you are folding the mixture, try not to crush the berries.
7. Take 2 20cm cake tins and divide the mixture between the 2.
8. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown and a skewer, inserted into the middle comes out clean.
9. Once the cakes are cold mix the cream with 2tsb of sugar until the cream starts to harden. Stop mixing then fold in the 3 handfuls of berries into the cream. The idea is not to mix too much so as you crush the berries.
10. 

    Take a palate knife or any type of knife if you don’t have a palette knife. Spread the cream over the top of one of the cakes. When covered gently place the second cake on top and push down carefully.

11. Sprinkle the cake with caster sugar and serve.

Carrot Cake

• 170gms brown sugar
• 170gms sunflower oil
• 170gms self raising flour
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 130gms grated carrots
• zest of 1 lemon
• 2tsp cinnamon
• 1tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1tsp ground nutmeg. If you have fresh all the better as it will taste better

1. Preheat the oven to 180C or gas mark 4.
2. Line an 18cm cake tin with greaseproof paper.
3. Add sugar to a mixing bowl along with the oil and eggs. Mix everything together then stir in the carrots and lemon zest.
4. Sift in the flour, bicarb and the spices then mix everything together.
5. Pour the mixture into the prepared cake tin.
6. Bake in the oven for 40 minutes or until you can slide a skewer in and and it comes out clean.
7. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes in the tin before turning out onto a wire rack. Remove the paper and either allow to totally cool or serve immediately with some cream or ice cream.

This is a really great carrot cake recipe. It’s moist, delicious and should be something you try to make at least once.

These Beetroot Wedge’s are tasty and will melt in the mouth especially when you use your own home grown beetroots.

Ingredients

• 500g beetroot
• 200g spinach
• 70g Cheddar cheese
• 2 squares of puff pastry
• 2tbsp. olive oil
• 1 egg
• Ground black pepper
• Sesame seeds

Method

• Clean the beets and cut the ends away but DO NOT PEEL.
• Cook them in lightly salted water until soft and tender then rinse under cold water.
• Scrape away the peel.
• Fry the spinach in olive oil until all the water in the spinach has dissipated then let the spinach cool.
• Cut the beetroots into cubes and mix with the cheese and spinach. Season with black pepper and salt (if required)
• Set the oven on 225C or gas mark 6.
• Take the puff pastry and roll out into small squares. Remember you will be turning them into triangles so not too large.
• Fill the squares with the mixture.
• Take one edge of the pastry and fold creating a triangle. Firm the edges with a fork.
• Brush with the egg and sprinkle sesame seeds liberally over the triangles.
• Cook in the oven for 18-20 minutes depending on the type of oven you have, or until light brown.
• Leave to cool before enjoying.

These beetroot wedges are great with honey baked red onions!

Sausage casserole is really simple to make, you can add anything you want as it’s so adaptable. If you do try this let me know how you went on, especially if you changed or added other ingredients.

Ingredients

Serves 4-6

1. 1tsp garlic powder
2. 1tsp ginger powder
3. Salt & pepper to taste
4. 1 litre veg stock
5. 4 slices of bacon
6. 4 sausage
7. 2 large potatoes, peeled and cut into small chunks
8. 1 onion, peeled and cut into small pieces
9. 300g can cannellini beans
10. ½ cup of dried chickpeas (Before you use them soak overnight in water)
11. 400g can chopped tomatoes
12. ½ cup of dried butter beans (Before you use them soak overnight in water)

Method

1. Cook the sliced potatoes in salted water until tender.
2. Heat the oven to 200C or gas mark 6.
3. While the potatoes are cooking, take a large casserole dish and put all the other ingredients in, stirring everything together.
4. Add any herbs and spices you have and stir everything together.
5. If needed top up with water until everything is covered. Put the lid back on and place in the centre of the oven.
6. Cook for 1 hour then add the potatoes and cook for a further 30 minutes or until everything is cooked.
7. Serve in big bowls with homemade crusty bread.

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Rich, creamy and chocolaty, that’s how you can explain how this lovely tart tastes. If you use a good quality chocolate then this chocolate tart will be so scrumptious everyone will be begging you for the recipe. Another great way of using that homemade shortcrust pastry you have just made!

Ingredients
Base

• 300g white flour
• 2 tbsp. sugar
• 150g butter cut into cubes
• 1 egg

Filling

• 300g milk chocolate. Either Galaxy of Dairy Milk
• 2 eggs
• 4 egg yolks
• 50g sugar

Method

Base

1. Mix the flour and sugar together in a mixing bowl then add the egg and butter, mixing until mixed together.
2. Put the dough inside a freezer bag or clingfilm then leave to settle in the fridge for 30 minutes.
3. Take the dough and roll it out so it fits inside a large quiche or tart tin.
4. Add baking beans to the base.
5. Pre-bake the tart base in the oven on 200C or gas mark 6 for 10 minutes then remove. Remove the baking beans and cook for another 5 minutes before removing and allowing to cool.

Filling

1. Melt chocolate over boiling water until soft and melted. Don’t overdo this step as the chocolate will go lumpy.
2. Whisk the eggs, egg yolks and sugar together then add the melted chocolate slowly to the mixture whisking as you pour the chocolate into the mix.
3. Pour the mixture onto the pre-baked tart and spread evenly over the base.
4. Allow the chocolate to cool and set in the fridge for about 2 hours

Serve with either whipped cream, ice cream or on it’s own for a rich and tasty chocolate taste.

What will make this pie taste even more delicious is to use your own, homegrown apples picked fresh from your own trees. I am beginning to slaver just thinking about that.

Ingredients

Pastry

• 400g plain flour
• 200g butter or 100g butter and 100g lard
• 4 tbsp. ice cold water

Filling

• 1.5-2.0kg apples preferably Bramley. Peeled, de-cored and cut into slices
  

  Use whatever apples you have grown

• 140g golden caster sugar
• 3 tbsp. water

Ingredients Shortcrust Pastry

• 400g Plain flour
• 100g Lard at room temperature
• 100g Butter at room temperature
• Pinch of sea salt
• 4tbsp. Ice cold water

Method Shortcrust Pastry

1. Sieve the salt and flour into a mixing bowl.
2. Cut the lard and butter into small manageable pieces and add to the flour in the bowl.
3. With a round edged knife (butter knife is good for this) mix the ingredients together until they are fairly mixed together. Then with your fingertips lightly rub the ingredients together until they resemble breadcrumbs.
4. Sprinkle 1tbsp. of cold water over the ingredients and rub in.
5. Repeat until you have used the water then with the knife bring the ingredients together to make a dough. You want the dough that’s not to sticky or dry so you may have to add or reduce the water you use.
6. Finally with your fingertips once more, bring the dough together to form a smooth dough. Add cold water if needed as you bring the dough together.
7. Put the dough in a plastic bag or Clingfilm and leave to rest for 30 minutes in the fridge. This is important as it gives the dough time to get more elastic, making it easier to roll out.
8. After 30 minutes roll out to the desired size on a floured surface.
   

Method Pie

1. Preheat the oven to 190C or gas Mark 5.
2. Put the apples and sugar into a large mixing bowl and mix together.
3. Get a large pie tin or ovenproof plate and grease.
4. Take the dough out of the fridge and cut in half. Roll one half out on a floured surface. You want the pastry to be slightly bigger than the tin or
   

   Rolling out the shortcrust pastry

   plate.

5. Gently put the pastry on the tin pressing down into all the nooks and crannies. Trim away the edges and brush the edge with milk.
6. Take the apples and spread them all over the base leaving about 2cm’s free at the edge so you can seal the pie.
7. Roll out the 2^nd half of pastry. Again you want the pastry to be slightly bigger than the plate.
8. 

   Carefully put the pastry over a plate

   Place the lid over the apples and press it down at the edges making a seal. Trim away the edges then with your fingers finish it off by crimping the edges all way round sealing the apples in.

9. Make 3 slits on top of the lid so steam can escape. Brush the finished pie with milk then put in the oven.
   

   With a knife, carefully remove any excess pastry

   

   Ready for the oven

10. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the pastry is a golden colour. Remove and leave to cool before serving with ice cream, custard or cream.

Turning off unwanted electrical items like chargers and computers, walking or cycling instead of using the car, planting trees and growing your own vegetables. All these things can be done quite easily, but will make a big change to the way in which we all live.

Below is a small list of things one can do to live a greener life but there are many more things one can do.

• When making coffee or tea use enough water for the number of cups you need.

• Make sure the pan you are using is the right size for the job and the ring you are going to use on the cooker.

• How about making your own meals instead of shop brought rubbish? Making your own meals means you know exactly what goes into them. If you use your own home-grown veg, fruit, herbs and other edible items, you will have a great tasting, healthy meal.

• Always open the windows around the house to let in fresh air and dispel any old, stale air which can be bad for you. Even in winter a few minutes makes a difference.

• Never leave the TV, satellite receiver or any other electrical device on standby. Leaving it on standby means you are still using electricity to keep it on standby and raising your electricity bills.

• Planting trees is an excellent way of helping the planet deal with pollutants which we pump into the air like carbon monoxide and turn it into oxygen which we need.

• Never buy bottled water. Yes it is an invaluable source in emergency situations where the local supply has been cut off or contaminated, BUT there are ways for these companies to distribute water without using plastic. Cardboard cartons and bottles is one way in which they could distribute water needed in times of disaster. Plus the transporting and making is incredibly expensive and bad for the environment.

• Growing your own food like vegetables, fruit and herbs are another great way for you to live greener lives and conserve the environment. Not using pesticides will greatly improve the air and the soil in which you have planted your vegetables and they will taste delicious too.

• Conserving rain water is a great way of living a green life and there are many ways in which one could utilise the collected water. First off is the garden. Water the plants, trees, and all those vegetables with rain water which is free from chlorine, fluorides and other chemicals water companies pump into our drinking water. Some plants like Venus Fly Traps should only be watered with rain water as the chemicals in drinking water will rot and kill it outright. Other good ways for using rainwater is the toilet and if you can have the correct filters in place, the shower.

• Composting. When you are preparing your vegetables and fruit why not have a small compost bin in the kitchen with a lid on. When it’s full take it outside and put that waste into a compost bin. This will rot down over time thanks to the beneficial insects and worms, leaving you with beautiful compost which you can use in your garden. The plants will thank you for it too.

• Try to recycle as much as you can. From paper to plastic, metals and even batteries can be recycled. No longer working electrical items like fridges and freezers can all be recycled. Furniture you no longer require and old clothes can be recycled to. Just give the local charity shop a ring or go visit them and see if they will collect you’re unwanted items. I save some containers to use in and around the house and in the garden. Old yoghurt pots can be great emergency plant pots, so can tin cans. Plastic egg cartons can be used as seed trays. If they have a lid then you have a mini propagator. Just think about it, the possibilities for recycling are endless.

• When washing clothes use the coldest setting possible and try to hang them up to dry instead of using a tumble dryer. Bad for the environment and the pocket.

• Other more common things to do to live a greener life include leaving the car at home instead replacing it with either walking, cycling or getting public transport to work and wherever else you may be going. If you need to use the car make sure it is as environmentally friendly as possible and always make sure the tyres are at the correct pressure. Turn off lights when not needed and even turning down the thermometer by 1 degree makes a difference.

As one can see these changes are nothing major, most of them you will already know and, hopefully already implement. But they will make a big difference to the environment and climate, especially if everyone practices these simple procedures. It’s not hard or even rocket science, just common sense.

Dust can be a killer if left inside your pc, so regular cleaning inside will not only make it run cooler, it will prolong it’s life. It’s also simple to do.

It gives you ideas, hints and tips on combatting spam and other scams freely sent to our in-boxes daily. If you want to stop these unwanted emails read the article.