Rediscovering the joy of seasonal produce is a great idea for lots of reasons, not least because buying seasonally means buying local, so it’s carbon footprint friendly. In season fruit and vegetables taste better too, as they’re richer in the nutrients and minerals our bodies need - and they cost less because they haven’t had to travel half way across the world to your plate.

So, what’s in season and when?

Here’s a guide to some of the best produce by season so you know what to shop for and when, but as a guide, if you’re buying from a supermarket, always check the packaging as this will tell you where the food has come from. If it’s December and you’re looking at blueberries from Guatemala, you’ll be buying out of season and increasing that carbon footprint.

Spring

Asparagus
Pineapple
Leeks
Artichokes
Peas
Spinach
Beetroot
Cauliflower
Cabbage

Recipe suggestion: Try pineapple and pink grapefruit with mint sugar for a light, zingy, deliciously sweet and healthy dessert

•1. Use a sharp knife to top and tail the pineapple, then stand it upright on a chopping board. With the sharp knife, carve the skin away and discard. Rest the pineapple on its side, then cut into wafer-thin slices. Repeat with the grapefruit, cutting away the peel and pith, then cut into slices. Arrange the fruit on a serving platter, catching any juices, and set aside.

•2. Using a pestle and mortar, pound the sugar and mint together until completely blended. Scatter the mint sugar over the fruit and serve with yogurt.

Picking pineapple

A ripe pineapple will smell sweet and you should be able to pull the leaves from the centre easily. Make the mint sugar just before serving, as the mint will turn black after a while.

Use different fruit

Mango & apple with toasted coconut Peel and slice 2 medium mangoes into strips. Core 2 red apples, then slice across into rings. Arrange the fruit on a plate, squeeze over the juice ½ lemon followed by a sprinkling of soft brown sugar. In a hot dry pan, lightly toast a handful sweetened desiccated coconut, then sprinkle it over the fruit.

Nutrition Per serving

168 kcalories, protein 2g, carbohydrate 42g, fat 1 g, saturated fat 0g, fibre 4g, salt 0.02 g

Summer

Apricots
Cantaloupe melon
Raspberries
Avocados
Cherries
Corn on the cob
Broad beans
Strawberries
Tomatoes

Recipe suggestion: Try crushed broad bean and mint bruschetta for a light summer starter
•1.     Put the double-podded broad beans in a bowl and lightly crush. Season, then mix in the grated parmesan, mint and a slug of olive oil. Rub the slices of toasted bread with the garlic. Top with the broad bean mix, drizzle over a little more oil and finish with parmesan shavings.

Per serving

182 kcalories, protein 8.7g, carbohydrate 18.6g, fat 8.6 g, saturated fat 2.1g, fibre 4.7g, salt 0.81 g

Autumn

Broccoli
Pomegranate
Figs
Parsnips
Blackberries
Quince
Pears
Damson
Pumpkin

Recipe suggestion: Try parsnip and apple mash, delicious with grilled pork loins and steamed broccoli
•1.     Cook the parsnip and apple in a pan of salted simmering water for 10 mins until tender, then drain. Put the pan back on the heat, add the butter and spices, then cook for a few mins before adding the milk and warming through.

•2.     Add this to the parsnips and apple, season well then whizz in the food processor until smooth, or mash well by hand. Spoon into a bowl and drizzle with a little melted butter to serve.

Great with…

Quickly pan-fried pork chops, traditional sausages with onion gravy, or as a topping for shepherd’s pie

Per serving

276 kcalories, protein 5g, carbohydrate 37g, fat 13 g, saturated fat 7g, fibre 11g, salt 0.28 g

Winter

Celeriac
Kiwi
Potatoes
Shallots
Clementines
Sprouts
Turnips
Sweet potato
Rhubarb

Recipe suggestion: Try rhubarb, apple and ginger crunch trifle for a light, yet warming winter indulgence
•1.     Heat the oatmeal, ground ginger and half the sugar in a non-stick frying pan until the sugar starts to caramelise and the oatmeal toasts, stirring often. Tip onto non-stick baking paper to cool, then break into crumbly nuggets. Make up to 2 days ahead and keep in an airtight container.

•2.     Put the apples in a large saucepan, then add the chopped ginger, 50ml water and remaining caster sugar. Bring to a simmer, then gently cook for about 7 mins, adding the rhubarb halfway through, until both are softened, but not mushy. Add more sugar to taste, if you like, then leave to cool. Make up to 1 day ahead and keep in the fridge.

•3.     Lightly whip the cream and fold half of it into the custard. Line the base of a large serving bowl with cake, sprinkle over the wine, then spoon over the fruit, draining off any excess juice. Add a layer of the oatmeal, cover with the custard, then finish with the rest of the cream, slivered ginger and oatmeal. Best assembled shortly before serving. Each element can be made the day before, then layered up when ready to eat.

Per serving

634 kcalories, protein 7g, carbohydrate 67g, fat 40 g, saturated fat 22g, fibre 4g, salt 0.53 g

So how do you get the romance back without breaking the bank? Easy. A romantic home cooked dinner for two. And we’ve got the perfect menu, including wine suggestions. All you need to do is make some time, at the weekend if it’s easier. We’ve kept the menu simple, delicious and some of it can be prepared in advance. Oh, and we’ve popped a few aphrodisiacs in too. Now all you need to do is dust off the candles, find that Barry White CD and make some time.

The menu

Starter - Asparagus, mozzarella & prosciutto parcels
Main course - Perfect steak, mustard mash and green beans with toasted pine nuts
Dessert - Tiramisu

Wine suggestions

Cabernet Sauvignon - Chilean
Shiraz - Australian
Merlot - Bordeaux or Napa Valley region

Asparagus, mozzarella & prosciutto parcels

Asparagus is one of the best know aphrodisiac foods, it’s easy to cook and looks impressive when you serve it simply.

You’ll need:

12 asparagus spears, trimmed
Ball of mozzarella, sliced into 4
4-6 slices prosciutto
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
Small bunch of basil
Spinach leaves

Method:

• 1. Make the dressing in advance by whisking together the olive oil, vinegar and roughly chopped basil - you can do this the night before and keep refrigerated until you need it.
• 2. Set aside 2 plates and place a handful of washed spinach leaves, gentle tossed in half of the dressing in the centre of the plate.
• 3. Bring a pan of lightly salted water to boil and blanch the asparagus for 2 minutes, then refresh them in cold water - don’t leave them to sit too long though or they’ll do soggy. Set aside.
• 4. Slice the mozzarella into 4, then take 3 asparagus spears and sit 2 slices on top, then take another 3 spears and sit these on top of that - repeat for the second parcel.
• 5. Take 2 or 3 slices of prosciutto for each parcel and wrap so the mozzarella is enclosed.
• 6. Heat a little olive oil in a pan and carefully fry the parcels until the prosciutto has crisped and the mozzarella begins to ooze.
• 7. Carefully lift the parcels out of the pan and place on top of the spinach leaves, drizzle with the remaining dressing and serve.

Vegetarian alternative: After blanching the asparagus and slicing the mozzarella, lightly brush some fresh sliced ciabatta with some of the dressing, top with the asparagus and mozzarella, and grill lightly until the cheese starts to ooze, place on top of the spinach, drizzle a little more dressing on top and serve.

Perfect steak, mustard mash and green beans with toasted pine nuts

For the main course, you can’t go wrong with a good steak. And cooking the perfect steak isn’t as hard as it sounds if you follow these few simple steps. Sirloin is good cut to cook at home if fillet is out of your price range.

Cooking the steak

You’ll need:

2 pieces of steak, fillet or sirloin
Salt and pepper to season
2-3 tbsp ground nut oil (or sunflower if you’re allergic to nuts)
3-4 small knobs of butter

• 1. Allow the steak to rest for at least 20 minutes before you cook it, if it’s at room temperature, it’ll cook quicker, taste better and won’t be cold in the middle if you’re going for rare or medium, season it lightly with salt and ground pepper on both sides.
• 2. The cardinal sin for badly cooked steak is not getting the pan hot enough, so make sure yours is good and hot before you even add any oil.
• 3. Next - the oil - avoid using olive oil to cook steak as it burns too easily at high temperature, the best oil to use is a ground nut oil, but if you must use olive, add a little butter in too. Heat the oil until it’s just starting to smoke, then lift off the heat and give it a shake to coat the pan.
• 4. Place the steak in the middle of the pan and push down to make sure all of the surface is touching the pan.
• 5. Leave to sizzle away on the heat for 2.5 to 3 minutes before turning (for medium rare, add another minute for medium to well).
• 6. Turn your steak and cook for the same amount of time on the other side, never turn it more than once, this is what turns steak rubbery. To test how cooked it is, if you’re looking for rare or medium rare, when you push down on the steak lightly with your finger, you should get the same tension/feedback as you do when you press the fleshy part on the inside thumb part of the palm of your hand - the firmer it gets, the closet to well done it will be.
• 7. About a minute and a half before you’re due to take it out of the pan, drop in 3 or 4 smallish knobs of butter, allow to melt then tip the pan towards you and spoon over the butter to baste the steak.
• 8. Remove from pan and set aside to rest for a minute or two.
• 9. Place the steak on a chopping board, press down and slice (not too thinly) at an anglewith a sharp non-serrated knife, fan and serve drizzled with a little of the butter/oil mixture from the pan.

Smooth, creamy mustard mash

• 1. Set a pan of water to boil.
• 2. Peel and cut the potatoes into medium sized chunks, about 2 inches square is fine.
• 3. Drop into the boiling water and cook for 10-15 minutes until tender but not flaking.
• 4. Remove from heat, drain and place into a large bowl.
• 5. Add about 3-4 tbsp of milk, a large knob of butter, 1 tbsp of wholegrain mustard and salt and pepper to season.
• 6. Mash as you would normally, or for really smooth mash, use a hand blender.
• 7. Serve along side your perfectly sliced steak.

Crunchy green beans with pine nut butter

• 1. First blanch the green beans in boiling water for no more than 3 minutes, then refresh with cold water.
• 2. Next, toast the pine nuts (a small handful) in a hot, dry pan for around a minute, tossing them to stop them burning, remove and set aside.
• 3. Gently heat a large knob of butter in a frying pan with some chopped garlic (for aphrodisiac effect and taste), next add the blanched green beans and toss until coated with butter.
• 4. Remove and serve with the pine nuts sprinkled on top.

Easy tiramisu

You can make this the day before if necessary, but if not, should allow a few hours to set and let the flavours mingle before serving. It’s really really quick and easy but looks and tastes amazing. And with a bit of vanilla and chocolate thrown in for aphrodisiac effect, it’s bound to be a winner.

You’ll need:

125g mascarpone
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp Marsala, Brandy or Tia Maria
100ml strong coffee or espresso cooled to room temperature
100ml single cream
2 tbsp icing sugar
8 sponge fingers (savoiardi)
Small frozen bar of at least 70% cocoa dark chocolate
Cocoa powder to dust

Method:

• 1. Whisk together the mascarpone, vanilla, marsala (or whichever alcohol you choose) and half of the coffee until everything is thoroughly mixed.
• 2. Whisk the cream with the icing sugar, then fold into the mascarpone mix until smooth.
• 3. Pour the remaining coffee into a shallow bowl, sweeten with icing sugar to taste (if you like it sweet). Then take one sponge finger at a time and dip in the coffee, turning to coat both sides, don’t dip for too long or it will fall apart, then place it in the bottom of the bowls you plan to serve it in - individual bowls or even glasses will look best. Do the same for all the sponge fingers, breaking them in half if you need to.
• 4. Spoon the mascarpone mix on top until you reach the top of the glass or bowl (or the mixture runs out).
• 5. Refrigerate for a couple of hours ideally.

Finally, take the frozen chocolate and grate over the top of each tiramisu, then dust with sifted cocoa powder and serve

Here comes the science bit: the heart is a muscle, it pumps blood round your body 24×7 and it needs oxygen to stay strong. So doing any kind of exercise, particularly aerobic, that increases your intake of oxygen (makes you breathe faster and deeper) is good news  for your heart. And that’s not the only reason, exercise makes you happy. Really, it does. When you exercise, your brain releases endorphins - the body’s natural feel good chemicals - proven to improve your mood.

Relax, you don’t have to spend your life at the gym
If the thought of hours in a sweaty room full of other people and scary equipment rules the gym out, you’re not alone. But keeping fit doesn’t have to be all iron pumping, unflattering spandex and nasty sweat patches. Here are a few ways to get fit and feel good at the same time.

Natural and free routes to more energy

Take deep breaths

Rushing around can make us anxious and that means we take in less oxygen and our energy levels plummet. Taking as little as 30 seconds to just stop and do some deep breathing will help. Breathe slowly in through the nose for a count of three - so you can feel your stomach muscles working, rather than your chest - then slowly release out of the mouth for a count six.

Stretch your way to fitness

Stretching is incredibly important before you do any kind of exercise - if you don’t stretch, you’re much more likely to cause damage to your muscles. But it’s also a great way to increase energy. Just two or three minutes will loosen your muscles, ease your joints and encourage blood to flow more freely around your body. And the good thing is, you can do it anywhere, at home, at your desk, or even in traffic. The more parts of your body you can stretch, the better you’ll feel, it will help you relax as well as giving you more energy.

Don’t take the easy way

Taking the stairs instead of the lift, walking a bit faster, jogging on the spot, getting off the bus a stop early and walking the rest - all of these will increase your heart rate and make you breathe harder. This in turn will increase your oxygen intake and boost your energy.

Make time for you

For more long term benefits, regular exercise is key. It doesn’t have to be a high impact sport, or a gruelling gym regime. There are lots of more gentle exercised that are great for energy levels and making your feel more energised in mind and body. Making time to do at least one of these, at least once a week is a good way to force yourself to stop and take time out to take care of yourself.

Yoga

There are lots of different types of yoga, but it’s popularity in recent years (and well documented celebrity followers) mean that it’s easy to find a beginners class or a teacher who’ll give private lessons. It’s a gentle exercise using different postures, breathing exercises and meditation, all of which are excellent ways to relax the body and mind, increase oxygen in take and tone up at the same time. Yoga is known to improve muscle tone, strength and stamina, reduce tension, boost self esteem, improve concentration, stimulate the immune system and give you a feeling of well-being and calm.

Pilates

Pilates is a deep, body-conditioning technique that helps strengthen muscles, improve balance and posture in a calm, non-aerobic way. Pilates teaches you how to use your muscles properly to support and protect you, preventing injury, straining and improving your posture and coordination and reducing stress.

Swimming

Whether it’s a weekend splash around with the kids, several lengths of the pool or an aqua aerobics class, being in the water is a great way to exercise and have fun. Swimming exercises almost every muscle in the body, particularly in the upper half. Swimming can be extremely relaxing, and with the water supporting your body, it hardly feels like exercise at all. It’s a great way to be alone with your thoughts or to zone out completely, let your mind wander and focus only on the rhythm of your stroke, exercise and meditation all in one.

Cycling

Whether it’s a once week alternative to the public transport commute, a weekend family activity, or just getting out there and cycling away your troubles - it’ll do wonders for your mind and body. It’s aerobic, so will increase your oxygen intake and blood flow and done regularly, as with all aerobic exercise, can help reduce the risk of serious conditions such as heart disease, high blood pressure, obesity and diabetes. So if you want to feel good and get some fresh air - get on your bike.

Help is at hand. With our handy home spa experience guide, you can create that relaxing, stress relieving, indulgent spa experience in your own bathroom. So now there’s no excuse for indulging in a little you time.

Why not share it with some of friends and make a girlie night of it? You could even make your own treatments from everyday foods, that will leave your body and your conscience feeling beautifully clear. Who knew that when they say beauty comes from within, they meant the fridge?

5 tips to create the perfect home spa experience

1. Get in the zone, declare the bathroom a no-go zone, get Dad to take the kids to the park, switch off your mobile - do whatever it takes to get some uninterrupted me time.

2. The devil’s in the detail - preparation is key. Make sure you’ve got all the products you need to hand, sinking in to your delicious scented bath only to have to make the naked dash across the cold tiles to retrieve your exfoliator from the shelf is not conducive to the home spa experience. Find your fluffiest towels, reclaim your dressing gown belt from round the toy dog’s neck and put them to warm on the bathroom radiator so you can step into something fluffy and warm. And if you don’t have an inflatable pillow, grab yourself a spare rolled up towel and improvise.

3. Indulge your senses with atmospheric lighting and music. The best spas are those that create the right atmosphere. Light candles around the bath tub, use an oil burner if you have one, and if there’s no socket near your bathroom, grab an extension lead, use a laptop (away from the bath obviously) to play soothing music. If whale sounds don’t do it for you that’s fine, it can be anything you find relaxing. Music helps you to block out any background noise and focus on relaxing.

4. Ensure a stress relieving soak by adding a few drops of essential oils to your bath, lavender is great for relaxing, try mixing about 12 drops of lavender oil with about 3 tablespoons of epsom salts to create the ultimate tonic to relax your muscles and soothe away your stress. But if lavender isn’t for you, take a look at our essential guide to essential oils to find the perfect one for you.

5. Get into the mood. With the bath running, the towels ready and all the preparation done, you’ve got enough time to make yourself a relaxing cup of herbal tea to help kick start the relaxation. You could try adding a few leaves of fresh mint to a cup of hot water for a homemade refreshing mint tea.

Finally, slip in and zone out. You deserve it.

Not only will you have a new wardrobe, you’ll be wearing a one off, exuding style and smugness that you’ve created it yourself for next to nothing.

Here’s a few easy customisation tips to inspire you.

Turn a drab old long skirt into a funky boob tube dress
If you’ve got any long skirts hanging around your wardrobe, you can easily make use of them with minimal alteration - especially if they have an elasticated waist. At it’s simplest all you need to do is hoist it up over your boobs and team it with a wide belt just below the bust line, it’ll give you a great shape and a new strapless dress - you could even wear it over jeans and layer it with a simple cardigan. Why not have a look in your local charity shop, you’ll probably find some great floral prints that are bang on trend for this summer’s gypsy style dresses.

Give those plain old jeans a bit of bling
Jeans can be costly, but are a wardrobe staple that most of us have more than one pair of. If you don’t, and you’re not keen on customising your one good pair, head to your local charity shop, or budget chain like H&M and get a pair you’re happen to liven up. Next head to the Haberdashery or craft shop - these places are like treasure troves for customisation. Most large department stores have them too.

Choose some jewels or sequins, even buttons or ready made motifs and simply glue or stitch them on to one of the back pockets, or the front. They’ll make a great pair of going out jeans no one else will have.

T-shirt treasures
Old plain t-shirts and vest tops can be easily transformed in to something really special, or you can buy them cheaply in places like H&M, or your local charity shop.

What you do with them is up to you. You can buy relatively inexpensive fabric pens, even glittery ones, which make a great craft project for kids to decorate their own t-shirts. You could even dye a faded or colour-washed top a darker colour and it’ll be like new.

The trick to good customisation is never through anything way, keep buttons, bits of ribbon, corsages from things you no longer wear. You can also buy them in haberdashery stores a lot cheaper than you can get a whole new outfit for.

You could make a ribbon bow to stitch on the neckline, or attach a length or ribbon around the bottom. Add some jewels, sew on a few buttons or stitch a piece of lace or even cord for a nautical look, all the way around the neckline.

Give your coat an overhaul
Buying a new coat is a big expense, and most of us have at least one sitting around at the back of a wardrobe, maybe with a few buttons missing. You can quickly and easily transform a coat simply by changing the buttons for something that makes a statement. This year it looks like the nautical theme is making a come back, so why not jazz up a light spring jacket with some stripey fabric coloured buttons, or some shiny metal ones. Or if you’re looking for something dressy, stitch a big flower corsage on to a plain woolen coat or jacket - it’s a great way to add a splash of colour - and it’s easily changed.

These shoes were made for showing off
Shoes are one of the easiest things to customise, and we all know how hard it is to find a pair that are comfortable enough to wear all day, or for a night of dancing. So if you’ve got a pair that feel like slippers but just don’t look the part, you can transform them into something that looks designer in minutes.

You can embellish them with jewels or studs just using glue. This is great for boots and can really bring a pair of old suede boots bang up to date.

Why not liven up a pair of ballerina style pumps or plain courts by fixing a flower corsage to the front. You could even buy some inexpensive costume jewellery (obviously you’ll need 2 of whatever you buy) and glue a large pendant or pin a broach to them. And you’ll have a one off pair of couture shoes that are bound to get you noticed.

Or, if you want to jazz up a pair of canvas shoes or trainers - and this is a great one for kids - get embellishing, with glitter fabric pens, jewels, buttons or paint your own designs on with acrylic paints, then when they’re dry, paint over the top of your designs with clear nail polish and they’ll be completely rain proof too. And for an instant update without mess, just replace the laces with ribbons.

Make a paper mache hot air balloon
This is a great one to spread out over the week as you’ll only be able to do the messy mache on day one then allow it all to dry for at least a day. They’ll need your help to mix up the paste and get them started. But kids of all ages love getting messy and this will keep them going for quite a while. It’s also a great way to use up newspaper.

You’ll need:

• 1. A large balloon
• 2. Paper mache paste - mix 1 part flour with 2 parts water and 1 part PVA glue
• 3. Lots of small cut up pieces of paper, ideally in strips
• 4. Paint
• 5. A yogurt pot or empty round container for the basket
• 6. Some string

Day one:

• Blow up the balloon
• Pour the paste into a shallow dish and start drenching the paper in it, laying it on the balloon in strips - continue until the balloon is almost entirely covered, leaving just an inch or two from the knot upwards to allow for removing the balloon and attaching the string
• Follow the same process for the yogurt pot, covering just the outside
• Leave to dry - for a day at least a day until hard

Day two:

• When the balloon is dry and hard - it’s time to paint it - choose bright colours, patterns, stripes - anything goes
• Do the same for the basket
• Allow to dry overnight

Day three:

• Finish off decorating if adding any stickers or glitter, paint with a coat of PVA if you want it to be shiny
• Allow to dry
• This is the fun bit - let them pop the balloon and gradually pull it out - be sure it’s hard and dry before you do this
• This next bit is for parents only, using sharp scissors, or something like a skewer, bore holes into the balloon, 4 around the narrow end and 1 through the very top to allow you to hand it up, then do the same with the basket, 4 evenly spaced holes
• Cut 5 lengths of string, ribbon or cord and tie a couple of knots in the end of each one
• Thread one up through the whole in the top of the balloon (the knot inside the balloon) - this will be the one you use to hang it up
• Take the others and thread them through the holes at the narrow/open end of the balloon, again with the knots inside, then thread the other end from the outside, through the holes in the pot basket far enough to allow you to tie the ends in a knot to hold them

That’s it - hang and enjoy.

Send them on a pirates treasure hunt
While they’re at school, or one night when they’re in bed, make a pirate’s treasure map. If you don’t have time (or don’t want to waste good coffee) for the full on aged pirate paper version below, you could just use brown parcel paper. Mark key areas in the house with imaginative pirate names, like the sofa could be Blackbeard’s Mountain, or the stairs could be Waterfalls of Doom.

To create your pirates map, you’ll need:

• 1. Cold coffee or tea (about half a cup)
• 2. A large piece of white paper
• 3. A hairdryer
• 4. Marker pens
• 5. Lemon juice

Take the white paper and rip off the edges, all the way round:

• Crumple it into a ball
• Flatten it out again onto a plate or chopping board
• Now pour the coffee or tea over the paper, swishing it around to make sure it’s covered completely, and let it sit for about 5 minutes to give it some colour
• Pour the excess coffee or tea down the sink
• Blow dry the paper for about 5 minutes, turning it down low when it starts to lift a bit, for another 2 minutes until completely dry

Now you’re ready to draw your map

• Give it a title, like Pirate Island and put a N,S, E and W in the corner
• Use a dotted line to draw the a trail between the key points, like the sofa, stairs, other pieces of furniture (obviously cunningly disguised with pirate names)
• Mark these points on by drawing icons like mountains, forest or caves
• Write instructions, like 10 paces north to guide them to the treasure - the more instructions, the longer you’ll keep them occupied
• Finally, when you’ve hidden the treasure (or no where you’re going to) mark it as an X on the map, using the lemon juice - this will dry invisible
• Then make the final instruction to them, to hold the map up to a lamp (or you can do this with them) to make the X visible and let them find their treasure
• Roll it up and tie it with string or ribbon and tell them when they get home from school that Old Blackbeard himself dropped it off for them

Don’t over boil - when you use the kettle, only boil what you need, if you’re only making one cup, you don’t need to fill up. You’ll find it boils quicker and you’ll be using less energy and wasting less water. In fact, if we all only boiled what they needed, we could save enough electricity to run practically all the street lighting for the entire country.

Switch it off, or better still, unplug completely - mobile phone chargers, the kids’ console chargers, hairdryer…it all adds up. As long as they’re plugged in and the switch is on, they’re using energy. A home with 10 adapters left plugged in round the clock could easily use 360 KWh of energy a year - enough to keep an energy efficient light bulb burning constantly for over two years.

Shower more, soak less - filling a bath can use around 150 litres of water (or more) whereas a shower uses around 30. And taking more showers will mean that when you do go for a long soak, it feels all the more indulgent.

Buy local. 100 years ago, most of the food we ate came from within 20 miles of where we live, nowadays our food labels read like a holiday brochure. Nearly as much greenhouse gas is creating by moving food as is generated by all the power stations in the UK. Buying local, in season produce from farmers markets will mean you’re cutting down on carbon emissions, and there’s less packaging too. Plus, food picked and eaten locally is richer in nutrients than something that’s traveled thousands of miles to get to your plate.

Have legs, will walk
It’s all to easy to jump in the car for short journeys, but as well as the pollution aspect, using cars on short journeys, like popping to the local shop for bread, or taking the kids to school, isn’t very fuel efficient. So as a rule, if you could walk it, you should. You’ll be reducing emissions, saving money and shaping up too.

Go paperless. Most banks and lots of utility providers now offer paperless billing, so be sure to sign up for it wherever you can, you’ll be helping reduce paper wastage as well as the carbon emissions of the postal service. And you’ll have a whole lot less clutter round the house too.

Recycle, reuse, reinvent. Most of us have got the hang of what goes in the green bins, but recycling goes beyond sorting your domestic rubbish. Giving clothes to charity shops, taking household rubbish, garden refuse and old appliances to your local council tip will all reduce your carbon emissions. And be sure to look for websites in your area that let you post ads offering furniture, kids toys and more - and give your old junk a new lease of life.

Compost your kitchen waste, get a small composting bin to keep in your kitchen and a larger one in your garden (check your local council website as they can often supply them) and chuck your vegetable peelings and food scraps in. You can even compost garden waste, coffee grounds, paper and cardboard - you’ll be feeding rich nutrients back into your soil, saving money on expensive compost and making less trips to empty the bin too.

What are essential oils?

Pure essential oils are naturally organic and come from the essence of fruit, flowers, leaves, twigs, bark, or root. They are extremely concentrated and will usually be diluted before use in aromatherapy, especially when used on the skin. Most scented aromatherapy massage oils are only around 2 or 3% oil, blended with a base or carrier oil.
 

How to use them for home aromatherapy

There are lots of ways to use essential oils; whether it’s to relax, to create a mood, or to treat a specific ailment. It’s easy to get started at home with a few basic oils which can be used in a variety of ways, the four main ways are:

In a bath - a few drops mixed with a carrier oil and used as you would bath oil, or put about 10-12 drops directly into the water

For massage - either using a pre-mixed massage oil, or by adding a few drops of essential oil to a base or carrier oil

On the skin - you can mix essential oils with a base oil to treat specific conditions such as dry skin, or even cellulite, or add a few drops to fragrance or lanolin free lotion or cream. You shouldn’t apply pure oils directly to the skin.

In the air - this could be aromatherapy candles, a few drops of essential oil on a burner, in a humidifier or vaporiser to create a calming atmosphere, or add a few drops to a bowl of hot water and inhale the steam to relieve a cold. You could even mix a few drops into a spray water bottle to create a room or linen spray.

Getting started - some easy to find oils and what to use them for
We’ve put together a list of some of the more commonly available, and versatile oils, along with what they can be used for. Two good ones to start with are lavender and chamomile, which together are great for relaxing and helping you get a good night’s sleep. But which oils you choose, should depend on your mood and what you want to treat, if you’re using them on your skin.

Chamomile - gentle herbal, fruity aroma - calming and soothing oil used for stress relief, muscle aches, irritated skin, digestive complaints, headaches, acne, feelings of depression and anxiety
Neroli - sweet, floral, refreshing aroma - for stress, feelings of depression, relaxing the mind and soothing the nervous system, also good for treating digestive complaints, headaches, insomnia and dry, sensitive skin
Bergamot - sweet, spicy aroma - antidepressant used to refresh and uplift, also good for oily, acne prone and dry skin conditions, sinus related problems
Geranium - sweet, floral, earthy aroma - used for calming, comforting and healing, effective when used to treat eczema, PMS, fluid retention and poor circulation
Lavender - distinct, floral, sweet, woody aroma - calming and therapeutic, with antiseptic, anti-depressant, anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory qualities it can be used to treat a range of symptoms and conditions including: colds and flu, sinusitis, headaches, muscular aches and pains, acne, PMS, sunburn, eczema, wounds and sores - a true wonder oil
Frankincense - rich, sweet, warm aroma - relaxing and uplifting, helps create an inner peace while soothing respiratory conditions and relieving pain associated with rheumatism and muscular aches, also good for anti-ageing qualities, colds and healing wounds
Orange - sweet, zesty aroma - creates feelings of warmth and happiness, calming for digestive conditions, helps cold and flu and eliminates toxins, also good for treating cellulite, muscular aches and pains, insomnia and dry, sensitive or ageing skin
Peppermint - strong, fresh, menthol aroma - refreshing and stimulating, can be used to ease respiratory conditions such as asthma and bronchitis, as well as treating nausea, colds, flu and sinusitis, headaches, digestive complaints including irritable bowel, indigestion and colic, effective insect repellent, muscle and joint pain reliever
Clary sage - sweet, spicy, herbal aroma - known to ease depression, exhaustion and respiratory conditions, good for cleansing congested complexions, and effective for asthma, digestive complaints, to ease muscle cramps and PMS
Grapefruit - zingy, fresh aroma - to uplift and energise, great in an aromatherapy shower gel to get you wide awake and refreshed at the start of the day, also good for the digestive system, anxiety, depression and water retention
Lemon - fresh, sharp, refreshing aroma - used to simulate and refresh the senses as well as treating cellulite, circulatory conditions, insect bites, headaches (including migraine) and varicose veins
Patchouli - sweet, spicy, woody aroma - a gentle, relaxing effect, can be used to ease feelings of anxiety, depression and symptoms of PMS, also known to increase libido. Has excellent healing properties for things like eczema and scar tissue, and chapped skin

As with all alternative therapies, it’s wise to seek advice before use, many of the places you can buy these oils, like health stores and specialist shop will be able to advise you. If you’re pregnant, you should seek advice before using essential oils.

[March recipe]

Linguine with black olive pesto

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp pine nut kernels
• 1⁄2 pack fresh parsley, stalks removed
• 1 clove garlic, roughly chopped
• Finely grated zest and juice of 1 unwaxed lemon
• 2 tbsp black olive paste
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 40g freshly grated Parmesan, plus some extra to serve
• 350g dried linguine or 2 x 250g bags fresh egg linguine
• Pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

1. Lightly toast the pine nut kernels in a dry frying pan over a gentle heat until golden brown. Transfer to a food processor with the parsley, garlic, lemon zest and black olive paste. Switch on and drizzle in enough olive oil to form a thick paste. Transfer to a large bowl, stir in the Parmesan and season to taste.
2. Cook the pasta according to the pack instructions. Drain, reserving a little of the cooking liquid and toss with the olive pesto. Check the seasoning and stir in lemon juice to taste. Serve with extra Parmesan.

Source: Tesco

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