Grow your own

So my green fingers are pretty much blue fingers. I'm not fantastic at gardening.

That said, I grow my own Basil. Basil is easy, if I can grow it then anyone can. It's lovely in any tomato based sauce. Once you're growing your own you don't have to buy it and that's the aim these days.

Watercress is another easy peasy one to grow, it's lovely in a sandwich.

My Dad is growing his own potatoes and has his own chicken coop - if you have the room then you have eggs every morning and chicken feed doesn't cost much.

A friend of mine is growing tomatoes and lettuce, she makes it look so easy...

So - mission for this week, grow something, it doesn't have to be as room consuming as potatoes, try basil or watercress to start :-)

Thrifty Cleaning

The cheapest (and most effective - in my opinion) cleaning products are Vinegar and Bicarbonate of Soda.

Vinegar is fantastic as an alternative to dishwasher rinse aid, perfect for streak free windows and if you add a spoon or two to your washing machine it'll kill any bacteria in the clothes (the ones that leave sweat marks).

Bicarbonate of Soda removes tea stains - just soak the cups in bicarb and warm water. It is also the best oven cleaner I have ever come across, just mix with warm water to make a paste and rub all over oven, leave for ten minutes and rub off.

If you have a blocked drain in your sink then my number one tip - pour some bicarbonate of soda down the drain using a funnel and then pour down a cup of vinegar. It will fizz up and unblock your drain.