As much as I would like to get the credit for this, this tip comes from my husband! Continue reading
How to easily remove dried food on worktop
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Author Archives: Nicole
How to iron a duvet cover
Fold your duvet cover neatly into four (i.e. into two and then into two again). Continue reading
How to make seedling trays last longer
It might seem impossible to reuse plastic seedling trays after one season if the drainage hole has become too large to hold any compost. I found a great way round it. Just pick up Continue reading
What to do with unused egg whites
Only using egg yolks in some recipes will let you wonder what exactly you could do with the unused egg whites. Well, do not throw away because Continue reading
Bouquet garni bag
I have found a great use for these small net washing tablet bags found in some washing machine packs. Continue reading
How to make a flower bouquet last longer
You will find that some flowers in a bouquet last longer than others. Continue reading
Home-made vanilla ice cream
When you taste this easy and quick recipe, you will think twice about buying ice cream again! Max cost £1.30 for around 900g of ice cream (using free-range eggs) and there are no additives or other nasty chemicals, just what you put in it! Continue reading
How to remove zest from your grater
When making lemon or lime zest, most of the zest gets stuck on the grater. I used to run a pointy knife along the little blades to try and scrape off the zest but I have now found an easier way: Continue reading
Free alternative to plant labels
It is likely that if you bought seeds and compost to grow your own flowers, you probably did not think about getting these very important white plastic plant labels. Well, this is exactly what happened to me. So, here is how I solved my problem: Continue reading
Reuse your empty spray bottle
Re-use your empty spray bottles! Plastic spray bottles that used to contain detergent or other cleaning products make great water sprays and won’t cost you anything. Use them to Continue reading
Quick way to propagate a geranium
I have been propagating geraniums using the same “mother” plant for many years.
This year, I did not have time to fill my little pots with compost but I did not want to delay growing my cuttings, so I used Continue reading
How to stop rubber gloves from falling down
Occasionally, the rubber of my Marigold rubber gloves is so soft that the gloves keep falling down off my arms and onto my hands. This is very annoying as I need to keep pulling them back up otherwise, I end up with wet hands.
Here is my suggestion for you: Continue reading
Make the most of your soap bar
For those of you who still use soap bars instead of liquid soap (it works out so much cheaper!), this tip is for you. Continue reading
Cooking gone wrong – Meringues
Don’t worry if things go wrong in your kitchen. It still happens to me even though I have been cooking for nearly thirty years.
I had a couple of egg whites left over from my delicious lime cheesecake. So, I decided to make meringues.
They looked lovely and delicious. But, believe me, they tasted horrible. I had a couple of mouthfulls just to make sure. They had definitely gone past the point of no return! Meringues are meant to look white. The temperature in the oven was just too high. Lesson learnt.
Easy Lime cheesecake
This recipe was easy and simple to make and so yummy that I want to share it with you. Continue reading
Reuse plastic bags from sliced bread
Once you have finished your shop-bought sliced bread, don’t throw out the plastic bag because you could reuse it in many ways. Continue reading
Mismatched mugs
Having mismatched mugs is actually a good thing as it reduces the need to Continue reading
Video tip on how to save your vacuum cleaner’s filters or dust bags
Doing DIY creates a lot of dust and dirt. So, to avoid replacing the dust bag too often (they are rather pricey) or even clogging the filter (fine dust has a detrimental effect on suction efficiency), it might be wise to Continue reading
Video tip on how to quickly apply adhesive on coving
I have been fitting coving many times over the years but it is only recently that I have found out how to apply the adhesive quickly and efficiently. Continue reading
Poached eggs without burning your fingers
Do you burn your fingers when cracking an egg above a saucepan full of boiling water to make poached eggs? To prevent this, here is my tip.
Crack the egg inside a ramequin then empty it gently into your simmering water, pinching the side of the ramequin with your thumb and index finger.
Last minute quick crumble
Have you ever wanted to eat crumble for dessert without having to wait 30 minutes for it to cook in the oven? Well, this post of for you then! Continue reading
How to serve hard ice cream
If your ice cream is too hard to scoop, I found that the following tip works better than dipping the ice cream scoop in a mug of hot water. Continue reading
How to load a dishwasher efficiently
Using a dishwasher efficiently takes a little getting used to and hopefully, the following tips and pictures will be of some use to you: Continue reading
How to store / freeze fresh chestnuts
Chestnuts are expensive but if you prepare them yourself, you can save a lot of money. They will then be readily available, as and when you need them. It took me a few years to perfect my technique and I am happy to share it with you below. Continue reading
Protect your expensive bird seeds from squirrels
Do you find it annoying and frustrating when greedy squirrels eat all the rather expensive seeds you put out for small birds? If so, you will find the following tip useful for you. Continue reading
Packed lunch – Reuse your aluminium foil
Although I use plastic containers for sandwiches and salads, I use aluminium foil for tortilla wraps because it is the only material (I have found so far) that helps them keep their shape. My tip for you today is simply to Continue reading
How to remove an old waste pipe
If you are trying to remove an old waste pipe, the following tip might be useful to you. Continue reading
Easy and quick home-made sausage rolls
In this post, I will show you how to make your own sausage rolls. It is easy and quick and you will impress your friends and family. Continue reading
Using a skip efficiently
At some point in your life, you might have to hire a skip to get rid of unwanted items. To make the most of a skip, use it wisely. Continue reading
How to remove wallpaper with a wallpaper stripper
If you have a large area of wallpaper to remove, I would suggest the use of a wallpaper stripper. However, a wallpaper stripper is just a giant kettle and uses a lot of electricity to run so you should try and minimise the time it is switched on.
First, Continue reading
How to remove a raw plug from a wall
If you are trying to remove a raw plug from a wall, read my tips below. Continue reading
Home-cooked frozen beans for packed lunches
Add home-cooked frozen beans to your savoury salads. Once I have Continue reading
How to protect floors when decorating
Be careful when using fabric dust sheets as they seem to have a mind of their own. When preparing walls for decorating, I found that Continue reading
Lanky houseplant – Dracaena marginata
My Dracaena marginata had become a problem. It was very lanky and top heavy so, I took a drastic step and hoped for the best: Continue reading
Container for sandwiches
An empty 500g spreadable butter container will make the perfect container if you only have one sandwich for lunch.