WHAT'S IN SEASON IN DECEMBER?

Buying local and seasonal is not only good for the planet – it can be good for the pocket.

I’ve been to my local farm shop this week – the local coxes apples are scrummy. Not only are they cheaper than the supermarket, but they vary in sizes, so not all those uniformly giant ones that the supermarkets like to regiment into their displays.

British pears are around too

December’s veg include:

beetroot, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, celery, kale, leeks, parsnips, potatoes, swedes and turnips

Happy eating

WEC

Free storage

Here's a tip to make free storage containers from a commonplace item that would otherwise go into the household rubbish - milk cartons.

I often use milk cartons to hold bulk DIY items such as screws, nails, plumbing joints/fittings and so on. I've got a pair of scissors with pointed ends to stab the carton with to start the cut. A carefully-used craft knife would do just as well. The cap and the top go separately into the recycling and I'm left with a useful container, complete with built-in handle!

I hope this is useful to others.

Oil-filling a Fiesta

This is easier and quicker than it looks!

It should really be done with the car on a flat surface so that when 
measuring the oil that's in it using the dipstick it gives a true 
reading. But even on a slope it's worth doing as any measurement is 
better than none.

Lift the bonnet:

Inside the car, on the left-hand (passenger) side at about "shin-level" 
there is a bonnet-release lever in the form of a black "flap". Pull that 
outwards and you should see the bonnet pop up a couple of inches. At the 
front of the car a little tag will have appeared between the grille and 
the front of the bonnet. This has an outwards arrow on it. Pull it. 
The bonnet should now be free to be raised fully. There is a prop about 
a foot long on the driver's side and this should be used in the holes 
provided to hold the bonnet up.

Check the oil:

There is a yellow loop just behind the radiator and just in front of the 
engine components. This is the dipstick. Pull this upwards and out. Wipe 
it, put it back in and then pull out again. You should see the oil level 
near the bottom of the dipstick and the correct level lies between the 
two notches that are about an inch from the bottom of the dipstick. If 
the oil level is below the bottom notch, or not visible at all, then oil 
must be added.

Topping-up the oil:

Just left of centre of the whole engine area is the 
oil-filler cap - it may have an illustration to this effect on 
it. Lift this and there's a hole about 3cm across. Using a suitable oil 
(e.g. 15W-40, synthetic or semi-synthetic), pour in about half a litre. 
Then leave it for 5 to 10 minutes for the oil to trickle down into the 
sump, especially in cold weather. Re-check the oil level (including the 
wipe stage) and if the oil level is still low then add a further half 
litre. Repeat all of this until the oil level is between the notches. 
It's not worth hurrying this as there is a risk of over-filling and that 
will waste oil, clog up the innards of the engine and produce smokey 
exhaust.

It is worth checking the oil level every week and always before a long 
journey.

A message from Lynda Bellingham

Lynda Bellingham is a very successful actress, best known for her appearances as Helen Herriot in BBC TV's All Creatures Great And Small. She is also the Ambassador for the Turn2us organisation. She is obviously a deeply caring person and has had the following message printed in our local newspaper – a message we are pleased to repeat here:

In these increasingly difficult times, it is more important than ever to ensure that everyone, especially those who need help the most, are aware of their potential entitlement to welfare benefits. I would urge all carers and others to access the benefits checker at www.turn2us.org.uk and discover what they might be entitled to, how much and where to claim. Spread the message and let's get those who most need financial support claiming what they may be entitled to.

Lynda Bellingham

Ambassador
Turn2us

CHEAT’S COLE SLAW

I love cole slaw, but the supermarket pots are rather sloppy, not to mention stingy on the % of fruit/veg - too much dressing/not enough substance.

So I like to enhance it

All you need is 2-4 carrots, 1-2 apples, 1 large plate, 1 grater and 1 pot of supermarket cole slaw.

·         Peel carrots and wash apple (no need to peel apple)

·         Grate both on to large plate and mix together

·         Spoon bought cole slaw onto plate and combine, making sure your grated carrot and apple mixture is thoroughly coated in the dressing

You now have at least double the original quantity, which looks and tastes better than the original. And the additional ingredients make it healthier and a good contribution to your 5-a-day.

So you’ve upgraded it and increased the number of servings - at a cheaper cost than buying two pots.

And the real bonus is you don’t have to make the dressing. Once I've done this I like to cram as much as I can back into the pot, pop it in the fridge, and then eat/share the rest for lunch

Yummy

WEC

Repairing a dishwasher

Surely modern white goods are "throw-away" items? Well they don't have to be. Please read on...

Our dishwasher was bought at least 15 years ago. It's a Hotpoint Aquarius and proudly proclaims: Made in Great Britain. Some of us had bought into the "buy local" message even back then. Up until this year it had only gone wrong once which was when a plastic label got wrapped around the heating element causing it to overheat and burn out. An easy task for the local repair-man to do.

In recent months the machine seemed to be taking longer and longer for each wash and eventually would stall at various points around its programme. We looked into a replacement but even second-hand machines were out of our price range so I thought I ought to give good old reliable Hotpoint another chance.

I made sure the power was UNPLUGGED, unscrewed the left-side panel and found the nylon tank structure (see picture) inside was grubby with limescale and that the level-sensor was stiff to operate.

We used various techniques for cleaning the structure including an old toothbrush, cotton-buds, white vinegar (an excellent cleaning agent) and good old elbow-grease. Upon re-assembly the level-sensor moved nice and freely and there were no more areas with stains and limescale in. By the way, this is a particularly hard-water area. I then reassembled - the machine has now done dozens of successful washes with no leaks and lovely sparkling dishes, knives and forks.

This is obviously not a job for the absolute novice but by taking care and treating safety issues with respect it should be possible for the average DIYer to accomplish. A fuller description of this job is given here.

Car driving tips

Do you start up the car and then put your seat-belt on? I do it the other way round since reading this tip a few years ago. It's only a few seconds difference but these things add up. So the way to go is to clip yourself in and then start the car and drive away. Leaving it to idle for a while doesn't help.

Did you know that a car is most efficient when it's hot? That is, it uses least fuel when it is up to normal running temperature. This understanding can lead to a bit of fuel (i.e. money!) saving if we build it into our driving routine.

The routine is: do any manoeuvering such as reversing into a parking space at the end of the trip when the engine is hot, not at the beginning of a journey when the engine is cold. Personally, I find this easier for parking in the drive, too. When I'm in the road I can see when it's clear to reverse into the drive and can then drive out forwards. If I did it the other way round I'd be trying to reverse into a possible stream of traffic with the whole of the car behind me obstructing my view. Just my view...