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BBQ Cabins & Garden Bars

Handmade in the UK from the best sustainable scandinavian Redwood, each BBQ Cabin or Garden Bar comes with a 10 year manufacturer’s guarantee.

www.arcticcabins.co.uk

Freezing food is a not only a great time saver, but helps to save pennies too. Look out for the bargain sales at supermarkets, check the sell by date, and if it can be frozen. There may be a few foods that can be frozen that surprise you!

Eggs, milk, cheese, even cake! – in fact, almost anything can be frozen. Pop a label on whatever you freeze remember to include the date.

Eggs - If you’re going to use them all straightaway, you can freeze them by cracking them into a sealable container. If you’re likely to need just the yolks or just the whites for a particular dish – you can also freeze the two separately.

Dairy - Milk: you can freeze in plastic containers – small ones work best, (and great as a standby), big containers take a long time to defrost and use up a lot of space in the freezer. Always pour a bit out before putting the lid back on, as milk expands when it freezes! Freeze it as soon as possible after buying and put it in the fridge to thaw out when you need it. Give it a good shake before pouring, and you must use it within 24 hours. Do not re-freeze. Cream: whip fresh cream and freeze in a plastic container (note: double cream freezes better than single).

Butter: freeze in cubes and add them straight into the saucepan when you’re cooking. Alternatively, defrost in the microwave in short bursts on a low setting.

Cheese: the easiest way to freeze cheese is to grate it first – then it’s ready and waiting for a quick and easy topping for all your favourite dishes.

Fruit and veg - Oranges do freeze well, as does much all fruit and veg. Having fruit on standby is great when you’re making smoothies.

Oranges, lemons and grapefruit freeze well cut into slices.

Plunge sliced apples into boiling water for a couple of minutes and then freeze them in a single layer, packing them into bags once they’ve frozen.

Vegetables. Parboil uncooked carrots for a few minutes and cool them in iced water before freezing them. You could even add carrot to a vegetable stock freezer bag along with onions and celery for stews or soups.

Potatoes.-Did you know that around 4.4 million whole potatoes are thrown out in the UK each day, making them one of the country’s most wasted foods? They can be frozen no matter how they’re cooked, and uncooked potatoes just need a 5-minute boil before they’re ready to be frozen too.

Rice - Many people think that you can’t freeze cooked rice, but you can! Simply cool it quickly by placing the container of rice in cold water, cover it and pop it into the freezer within an hour of cooking. Before eating, defrost the rice in the fridge and then reheat it until it’s piping hot before serving straightaway. Herbs -Fresh herbs never seem to last long, and what’s more, they often come in big bags and you only use a small quantity. Instead of lettingthem rot, simply freeze them whole in bags, or chop them up and freeze them in water in an ice cube tray. You can add them into your cooking still frozen!

The freezer is also great for loaves of bread, packets of croissants, cakes and any other baked goods you’re not going to get through. You can pop a loaf of bread in the freezer and take a slice or two out at a time whenever you need bread. You don’t even need to defrost it – you can make sandwiches from frozen bread in the morning and they’ll defrost by lunchtime with the filling staying nice and cool. Ideal for the summer. You can also pop a slice of frozen bread in the toaster (just allow slightly more time than you would if you were toasting it from fresh).

Tip: Give sliced loaves a quick tap on a hard surface before freezing them – it’ll stop the slices sticking together! If you’re freezing cake, cut it into slices and put greaseproof paper between the slices so that you can easily take out a piece at a time.

Barbeque Pork and Pineapple Skewers

Ingredients

400g pork fillet

4 tbsp light muscovado sugar

60ml cider vinegar

1 tsp fish sauce

½ small pineapple, peeled, cored and cut into chunks (or use canned pineapple, drained well)

1 green or red pepper, deseeded and cut into squares (optional)

4 spring onions, trimmed and cut into 4 equal lengths small bunch coriander, chopped (optional) Cooked rice or pitta, to serve

Method

1.Cut the pork into cubes. Heat the sugar and vinegar in a pan over a low heat until the sugar melts. Add the fish sauce and cool. Tip in the pork and mix well so that all the cubes are covered in sauce.

2.Heat the barbecue. If you are using coals, wait until they turn white. If inside , heat a griddle pan. Thread the pork and pineapple onto skewers, alternating pieces with the pepper and spring onion.

3.Barbecue or griddle the skewers for 3-4 mins each side (you may need to cook them for longer if griddling). Sprinkle with coriander, if you like, then serve with rice or slide into pitta breads.

“Kids will love these pork, pineapple and green or red pepper skewers, marinated for added flavour and cooked on the barbecue. Serve with rice or in pitta bread”

Strawberry Lemonade -

Enjoy this strawberry lemonade at your next garden party, picnic or barbeque.

Ingredients

175g sugar

400g strawberries, hulled and quartered, plus extra whole strawberries to serve (optional)

200ml freshly squeezed lemon juice (the juice of about 4-5 lemons) ice, to serve

Method

1.Pour the sugar and 1 litre water into a saucepan over a medium heat and heat, stirring, until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat and leave to cool completely.

2.Place the strawberries in a blender and blitz to a purée. (strain this through a fine mesh sieve to remove any seeds, if you prefer. Pour the strawberry purée into a large jug with the sugar water and lemon juice, and stir to combine. Pour into glasses filled with ice and serve garnished with whole strawberries.

Sardine Fishcakes

A low cost meal. These simple sardine fishcakes cost not much to make, and are a great way to use up those tins from the store cupboard. Serve with a crisp green salad and fresh lemon wedges for the budget friendly easy dinner.

Ingredients

450g Maris Piper potatoes, peeled and chopped

**2 x 120g tins sardines in oil, drained (boneless)

4 spring onions, finely chopped

1 large free-range egg, beaten

1 tbsp dijon mustard

Handful fresh dill, chopped

Finely grated zest 1 lemon, plus wedges to serve

Pinch cayenne pepper

50g plain flour, plus extra to dust

2 tbsp vegetable oil

2 x 60g bags baby leaf salad to serve

Salt and black pepper

**You can use any types of tinned fish with this recipe.

Method

Put the potatoes in a pan of salted cold water. Bring to the boil, then turn the heat down and simmer for 6-8 mins or until tender. Drain well, leave to steam dry in the pan, then mash coarsely using a potato masher or a fork. Put the sardines in a bowl, mash lightly with a fork, then add the chopped spring onions, egg, dijon mustard, dill, lemon zest, cayenne pepper and 50g plain flour. Mix until combined, add the mashed potato, season generously with salt and black pepper, then mix again.

With lightly floured hands, shape the mixture into 8 even patties. Place on a plate then loosely cover and chill for 10 minutes. Heat 1 tbsp of the vegetable oil in a large non-stick frying pan then fry half the fishcakes for 3-4 minutes on each side until golden and piping hot. Put on a plate and keep warm. Repeat with the remaining oil and fishcakes. Serve with salad and lemon wedges.

Nottingham Castle Re-opens.

New ticketing arrangements reveal adults pay £12 for all-year access, 15 and under go free. Nottingham City Council is proud to announce that Nottingham Castle will reopen once again to visitors on Monday 26th June, bringing Nottingham’s heritage back to the heart and soul of the City. Brand new admission arrangements mean that an adult pays £12 once and can visit all year, while accompanied children 15 years old and under go free with each paying adult (up to 3 children) – making it a great, affordable family-friendly day out. Advance bookings are now available from the new Nottingham Castle website www. nottinghamcastle.org.uk. The new admission arrangement will include access to the grounds, Brewhouse Yard Cottages, Robin Hood Adventures and Rebellion Galleries and the castle museum, unlimited for the 12 month period. The announcement comes as part of International Museums Day and after the castle grounds hosted a sold-out screening of the Eurovision Song Contest final and crowds of visitors enjoyed the King’s Coronation and Coronation Concert screenings in May. Nottingham City Council’s portfolio holder for leisure, culture and planning, Cllr Pavlos Kotsonis, said: “I am delighted to be able to announce that Nottingham Castle will open again on Monday 26th June. Nottingham without its castle is like Robin Hood without his merry men, so it’s going to be fantastic to have it back at the heart of our city’s life.“We’ve already seen with the Coronation events and the sold-out Eurovision event that people are eager to return to the site – and we’re very keen to welcome them back“We hope this announcement will come as welcome news, as we have endeavoured to listen to what visitors didn’t like about the Trust’s admission arrangements, and I believe the simpler pricing and exceptional value we are announcing will help to encourage visitors, near and far, to come back again and again.”

The City Council was handed the historical site back by Liquidators for Nottingham Castle Trust which declared itself insolvent last November. A decision was taken by the Council’s Executive Board on 21st March 2023 to work towards reopening the whole site in June managed directly by Nottingham City Council as part of its Museums and Galleries service.

Following the site’s £31m redevelopment, there is a new visitor centre and café at the entrance, a Hood’s Hideout adventure playground in the moat, as well as interpretative signage around the grounds to discover the site of the lost medieval castle.

Grapevine Tips

Struggling to open a jar? just tap the bottom gently on a worktop and it will open ! Add a dash of vinegar to the water when boiling eggs, helps the shell to peel off more easily.

“My new app” by the Grapevine Editor.

I have only been told about this wonderful informative app called Merlin Bird ID, it’s free to use. It’s like a “Shazam” for birds as someone recently told me. I’m not a bird watcher, but I do like to know what birds are in my garden and the different sounds they make. This app was designed for beginner and intermediate bird watchers, and created by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology in partnership with Birds in the Hand LLC and thousands of volunteer citizen scientists and bird enthusiasts . It has Photo ID, Sound ID (it records the birds sounds for you and informs you straight away) plus information about each bird you hear. You can also explore with the app likely birds to your area. It can be used anywhere if you’re out and about, and can be used in most countries around the world. It’s worth downloading , I was amazed how many types of birds visit my garden every day. Have a go, it’s superb!

“ You Get The Most Thorough Clean Ever Seen Or It’s Free”!

That’s right, the most thorough cleaning ever. My carpet and upholstery cleaning is the best and most thorough you could ever have – if you don’t agree I won’t accept your payment.

Along with the purchase of your home and family car, your soft furnishings are one of the largest investments you will make. Professional cleaning of your furnishings on a regular basis will extend their life considerably as well as keeping them hygienic and looking good.

4 Reasons Why You Should Choose My Company To Clean & Protect Your Family’s Health

1. Thorough Cleaning – My method doesn’t leave any residue or cause shrinkage. It cleans down to the base of your carpet removing harmful bacteria leaving your carpet clean and healthy.

2. Honest Pricing – I promise no high-pressure sales gimmicks. The prices I quote you are fully inclusive of cleaning products and labour. A full complete clean AND no hidden extras.

3. Protection of your soft Furnishings - Your valuable soft furnishings will stay cleaner longer, vacuum easier and have improved stain resistance with our carpet and upholstery protectors.

4. Long Standing Reputation – My company enjoys a reputation which is second to none, many of our customers not only come back to us time and again but recommend us to their family and friends.

Calling out all crafty people !

Sewing Folk, Knitters, Woodworkers, Amateur Artists, and Poets, Writers, etc

Grapevine are looking to present a promotional editorial on local people with hobbies or skills they would like to share with the readers . Each month until the end of the year, one page or two pages will be available for people in the communities to showcase their work.

Please note this must be your own work, and any photos sent must also be your own or permission given to use. This slot will be free of charge but a donation of one of your pieces to gift to the Grapevine will be welcomed, this gift will be added as a competition entry prize for our readers .

If interested, please call Christine at the Grapevine 07854990608 or email: sales@beechpublications.co.uk

Events in Erewash

Bold as Brass

Free Summer brass band concerts in and around Erewash.

Sunday 25 June: Little Eaton Parish Council. Belper Wind Band. 2pm. DE21 5EA

Sunday 9 July: West Hallam Parish Council, Matlock band. 2pm. DE7 6GR

Sunday 23 July: Stanley & Stanley Common Parish Council, Matlock Band, 2pm DE7 6FF

Sunday 30 July: Victoria Park, Ilkeston, Ilkeston Brass Band, 6pm DE7 5HB

Sunday 6 August: Breaston Parish Council, Duffield Close, The Green, Breaston, Matlock Brass Band, 2pm. DE72 3DU

Sunday 13 August: West Park, Long Eaton, Silver Prize Band, 2pm, NG10 3NL

Saturday 19 August: Erewash Museum, Ilkeston, Ilkeston Brass Band, 2pm DE7 5JA

Summer Sounds in Erewash

Sunday 23rd July 2023.

Summer Sounds returns to Victoria Park in Ilkeston on Sunday July 23 between 3pm and 7pm. The performances on the band stand start at 3.10pm with a 50s rock n roll performance from Alan Becks, followed by a Marti Pellow tribute at 4.10pm, a Kylie tribute at 5.10pm, and a Take That tribute act at 6pm.

Jolly Jingles the clown will be there, along with face painting and various stalls, including refreshments. Residents can bring along a blanket and picnic.

Swing back to the 1940’s at the Erewash Museum and Gardens , HighStreet Ilkeston. 24th June 2023 10am - enjoy music, singing , dancing, and vehicles, of that era. £3 admission chidlren free with accompanied adult.

Pirates of Penzance Jr at the Duchess Theatre, Chatsworth Centre, West Gate Long Eaton. Wed 28th June to Sat 1st July 2023 Evenings 7.30pm Sat Matinee 2.30pm

Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton

To book tickets visit the Duchess Theatre website - www.duchess-theatre.com