How to | Make Easy Eco Switch Ups

Photography by Sophie April Photography

Moving to a zero waste lifestyle is as easy as taking one small step

We all want to do a bit more to look after our planet but it can feel a little overwhelming. Perhaps you don’t know where to begin or maybe you’ve already made some eco changes and want to do a bit more. Possibly you’re an eco queen already, looking for the next switch to really make a difference. Wherever you are on your eco journey, there’s a switch that’s achievable for you. Why not pick one of the ideas below this month? Your local zero waste store should have a good stock of buys to help.

First step switches

You might think everyone must be on top of the basic eco measures we should all be taking now but it’s easy to overlook the obvious. If you don’t have one yet, how about a really good water bottle and reusable coffee cup so you never again have to throw one in the bin?

We like: Circular and Co. 12oz Reusable Coffee Cup, £15.95

Switches to level up your eco game

Swapping wipes and kitchen towel for reusable cloths is an instant way to reduce your landfill. While you’re in the kitchen drawer, how about switching from cling film to reusable beeswax wipes? 

We like: Queen Bee Wraps Beeswax wrap variety pack, £15

Ready for the next stage switches

One area that’s often forgotten when considering eco changes at home is the bathroom. Next time you finish your shampoo or shower gel, instead of replacing it, consider a refillable bottle, which you can take back to the store and refill rather than buying a new one. You could even think about solid shampoo bars (like soap) rather than liquid shampoo, so you don’t need a bottle at all! 

We like: Lush Honey I Washed My Hair Shampoo Bar, £9

Next level eco switches

If you reckon you’ve covered most of the basics, try looking at areas of your life you might have overlooked. How about lunches out? Getting together a zero-waste lunch kit to keep in your bag means you’ll never have to put a plastic sandwich packet or fork in the bin. A sandwich bag, set of reusable cutlery and food flask means that even if you don’t make your lunch at home, you can get a cafe to serve your lunch straight into your reusable packaging. 

We like: Keep Leaf Reusable Sandwich Wrap, £7.95

Eco Queen switch-ups

Ready to really make a change for the better? How about going packaging free for your entire weekly shop? Zero waste stores are popping up everywhere now, offering food without the plastic. This takes a fair bit of organisation and a little investment at first, but then you’ll be able to shop straight into your own reusable packaging and never find your bin full up after unpacking the weekly shop again. 

We like: Wild & Stone Reusable Mesh bags, £10.95 for 5

If you’re keen to know more about zero waste stores, don’t miss our ‘My Living’ feature on them in our November issue, where we meet two owners of zero waste shopes, including the lovely
Zero Waste Pantry in Wrington, Somerset, pictured above.

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Recipe | Bedtime Cake

Add a nostalgic bedtime drink to a traditional party cake and you have this Carrot and Horlicks Tres Leches Cake. Best enjoyed at bedtime

Serves 6-8

270g plain flour
2 tbsp baking powder
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground ginger
1 tsp fine salt
4 eggs, separated
240g caster sugar
240ml vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
240g carrots, peeled and finely grated

For the milk soak:
300ml whole milk
6 tbsp malted milk hot drink powder, such as Horlicks
340ml evaporated milk
397ml can of condensed milk

To decorate:
400ml double cream
2 tbsp whole milk 1 tbsp malted milk hot drink powder, such as Horlicks
40g icing sugar, sifted
Rainbow sprinkles (optional)

1 Preheat the oven to 190C/Fan 170C/ Gas 5. Meanwhile, grease and line a 24cm x 33cm baking tin.

2 Combine the flour, baking powder, spices and salt in a bowl and set aside. Beat the egg yolks and sugar in a separate bowl until thick and pale.

3 Add the oil and vanilla to the egg yolk mix and beat, then fold in the carrot, followed by the flour mixture making sure it’s really well combined – it will be thick.

4 In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks. Use a large metal spoon to fold a quarter of the whites at a time gently into the cake batter. Once well combined, pour the batter into the tin and bake for 40-45 mins.

5 Meanwhile, prepare the milk soak by gently heating the milk in a pan over a low heat until just steaming, then whisk in the malted milk powder. Remove from the heat and whisk in the evaporated milk and condensed milk. Pour into a jug and set aside.

6 Once baked, leave the cake to cool for 10 mins, then turn it out and remove the lining paper before returning it to the tin. Poke holes all over the surface, then pour enough of the milk mixture over the top to cover it. Let it sink in, then add more. Repeat until it’s all gone. Chill overnight.

7 At least 2 hrs before serving, whip the cream, milk, malted milk powder and icing sugar together. Spread over the cake in a thick layer and chill for 2 hrs to set. Decorate with sprinkles then cut into squares ready to serve.

Cook’s note: Try adjusting the spices – nutmeg and cardamom work well.

Taken from Good Time Cooking: Show stopping Menus For Easy Entertaining  by
Rosie Mackean (Pavilion Books). Photography: Sam Harris

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Meteorology | Types of Fog

Because there’s more to fog than you might think…

Fog is made up of tiny water droplets, suspended near the earth’s surface. But there are several different types of fog. Here are a few you might spot. 

Valley Fog

When cold, heavy air settles into a valley with warm air above it condenses to form fog which can sometimes hang around for days at a time.

Radiation Fog

Clear skies and calm, cold conditions cools the air close to the ground, creating condensation and fog. As the sun warms the earth, it ‘lifts’.

Advection Fog

This happens when warm, damp air meets with a cold surface, cooling the air. You often see it at sea when tropical air moves across cool waters. 

Coastal Fog

Advection fog can itself cause coastal fog, when warm air moves over the cool sea, usually over the east coast of the country, where it’s known as ‘fret’, or as ‘haar’ in eastern Scotland. 

Upslope Fog (aka hill fog)

Cold air is blown up a slope by the wind, cooling further the higher it rises, and taking in moisture, which then condenses and becomes fog. 

Evaporation fog

When cold moves across warm water such as a swimming pool, steam fog occurs. You can see the same effect when cold fronts move over warm seas at the end of summer.  

A note on Mist

The main difference according to the Met office, is in how far you can see through them. If you can see less than 1,000 metres away, they call it fog and if you can see further than that it’s mist. 

If you’re inspired to see, feel and maybe photograph more fog, you might like to read our feature ‘Mist Opportunity’ in our November issue. It’s taken from Chasing Fog: Finding Enchantment In A Cloud by Laura Pashby (Simon & Schuster).

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More fun, whatever the weather…

Recipe | Hasselback Squash with Chestnuts, Pancetta & Mushrooms

Photography by Kirstie Young

Serving a winter squash whole, or at least virtually intact, really brings home how majestic a vegetable they are. This roasting technique gives them maximum surface area to caramelise for extra deliciousness.

Serves 4

1 large winter squash (approx. 2kg whole weight)
6 bay leaves
4 thyme sprigs
25 sage leaves
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4 fat garlic cloves, unpeeled
180g vacuum-packed chestnuts
250g pancetta
1 tsp thyme leaves, chopped
200g mix of wild and cultivated mushrooms

1 Preheat the oven to 185C/Fan 165C/Gas 4-5. Halve the squash lengthways and scoop out the seeds. Turn both halves cut side down, then use a very sharp knife to slice 1cm slits in the flesh across the squash, taking care not to cut all the way through. I like to place a wooden spoon on each side of the squash to stop my knife before it reaches the chopping board.

2 Transfer to a baking tray, cut side down. Stuff the bay leaves, the sprigs of thyme and 10 sage leaves into the slits then drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and season generously. Roast the squash for 1 hr.

3 After an hour, add the garlic cloves and chestnuts to the tray and return to the oven for a further 15 mins.

4 Meanwhile, heat the remaining tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil in a frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the remaining sage leaves and fry for 2 mins, turning halfway, until they stop fizzing, which means the water has cooked off. Remove from the heat, drain, and leave to cool on kitchen paper, where they’ll turn crispy. Set aside.

5 Next, in the same frying pan, fry the pancetta over a medium heat for 5 mins. Add the chopped thyme and the mushrooms, tearing any large ones as you go. Turn the heat up a touch and fry for 5 mins more.

6 By now the squash, chestnuts and garlic should be ready, so remove the tray from the oven. Tip the chestnuts into the pancetta, squeeze the flesh from the garlic skins and stir into the pancetta mixture.

7 Lift the squash onto a serving dish. Tumble the pancetta mixture over and around the squash, then top with the crispy sage and serve.

Cook’s note: This can be made vegan by replacing the pancetta with chopped hazelnuts.

This recipe is from our November Tales From the Veg Patch pages, in which Kathy Slack cooks up a seasonal feast. The other recipes include Smoky Squash Beans & Chorizo Stew, Quick Squash Chips with Herby Mayo and Rye Spiced Pumpkin Loaf.

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Tipple | Fig Leaf Horchata

Horchata, a traditional Mexican drink, is a blend of rice milk, cinnamon and sugar that makes a comforting sip, whether you drink it warm or cold. It’s an excellent tipple for sipping around the bonfire, too. Add toasted marshmallows if you don’t scoff them straight off the stick...

Serves 8

3 ltr almond milk (we used Rude Health almond milk)
5 cinnamon sticks 
2 tbsp maple syrup
2 fig leaves (optional, but they add a deliciously unique flavour)
45ml amaretto shot per person (optional)
Toasted marshmallows (optional)

1 Add the almond milk, cinnamon sticks, maple syrup and fig leaves to a large fireproof pan. There’s a nip in the air, so all the more reason to pop an extra marshmallow in your horchata… or perhaps a splash of amaretto?

2 Gently warm through over a low heat. You want to heat the ingredients slowly so that they infuse their flavour into the milk without evaporating too much of the liquid away. Stir occasionally to ensure the milk doesn’t catch on the bottom of the pan.

3 Taste and check the sweetness, if you have a sweet tooth, add a little more maple syrup.

4 Once ready, leave to cool, then place in the fridge until needed. When ready, reheat gently. To serve, ladle the liquid into your favourite mug, add a shot of amaretto if desired, and add a toasted marshmallow or two.

Cook’s note: We've used Rude Health here because the base of their milks is organic rice milk, making this a much speedier version of the classic, where you have to soak rice in water overnight before blending it.

This recipe is from our November ‘Gathering’ feature, Dark and Chilli Nights, a menu for a Mexican(ish) get together around a fire. The menu also includes Chipotle Chill Pork Shoulder Tacos, Lime Pickled Onions, Pickled Slaw, Pulled Wild Mushroom Chipotle Tacos, Smoky Mac ‘n’ Cheese, Avocado, Basil & Jalapeno Cream, Jalapeno Salsa Verde, Chipotle Crumb and Churros with Chocolate Orange Dipping Sauce. The recipes are by Amy Moore and the photography by Jonathan Cherry.

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Reading | Fenland Fiction

Mountains and rolling hills are inspiring but there’s something about a flat landscape that’s a bit special. Here are a few books that allow you to immerse yourself in the UK’s flat, low-lying areas and dream under big skies. 

Waterland by Graham Swift

Set in the Fens of eastern England, Waterland follows the story of Tom Crick but also spans 240 years of his family’s history. The flat countryside of the novel is almost the main character in this haunting, watery story. 

Fen by Daisy Johnson

Weird, wonderful and… flat, this collection of short stories takes inspiration from Graham Swift and lover of fairytales, Angela Carter, and celebrates myth, magic and eels. 

Coot Club by Arthur Ransome

Dick and Dorothea head to the Norfolk Broads to learn how to sail with Tom Dudgeon. But Tom has embroiled himself in trouble, having set adrift a motorcruiser moored among his beloved coots’ nests, and belonging to a bit of a rotter. 

The Wild Fens Murder Mystery Series by Jack Cartwright

Detective Inspector Freya Bloom has moved from her London post to a position in rural Lincolnshire, where she doesn’t always fit in with the locals, who are wilder than the fens themselves about Freya’s arrival. 

The Belton Estate by Anthony Trollope

Trollope was not a fan of the Fens but his portrayal of them in one of his lesser-known novels is still a joy to anyone who knows the area. When Belton himself walks to and from Denver Sluice, Trollope remarks drily that “a country walk less picturesque could hardly be found in England.”

Death of an Expert Witness by PD James

One for fans of Inspector Dalgliesh. When a girl’s body is found in a field the lab begins to investigate but soon one of their own is done away with too. Dalgliesh is called to the dark and gloomy Fens to solve the murders. 

Hereward the Wake by Charles Kingsley

The author of The Water Babies also wrote this historical novel based in the then very watery Fenlands, way before they were drained and became the flat lands they are now. This book looks back to a time when the marshes were sodden with myth and magic. If you thought The Water Babies was damp and a bit creepy… think again… 

The Nine Tailors by Dorothy L Sayers

This Lord Peter Wimsey novel is set in the Lincolnshire Fens and the plot revolves around bell ringing… and murder, of course. 

Fen Boy First by Edward Storey

Storey has written movingly about the Cambridgeshire fens where he grew up, largely in poetic form but this memoir is equally beautiful and very evocative of the magical, dramatic flat lands of England. 

Flatland by Edwin Abbot Abbot

Sadly you won’t find Flatland on a map but if you’re a fan of the flat you will love this satirical novella, set in the two-dimensional ‘Flatland’; a commentary on the hierarchy of Victorian culture. 

This blog was inspired by our Outing feature ‘Flat Out’ from our November issue, in which we discover the beauty of this country’s flat landscapes. 

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Playlist | Jewels

Shimmer and shine, glinting and gleaming, our latest playlist celebrates jewels, jewellery and precious metals – you can have a listen here.

It’s taken from our November JEWEL issue, which is on sale from 31 October. Order a copy in the Pics and Ink shop.

Weekend Project | Templates for your felt mittens and slippers

Cosy slippers and colourful mittens, stitched with Scandi style, will keep you warm all winter

You can make the winter warmers pictured above with the instructions and kit lists from our Weekend Project in our October issue. But first you’ll need the templates (with stitching patterns), which you can click to print below and scale up or down as needed.

Click here for the slippers template and stitch guide

Click here for the mittens template and stitch guide

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