34 <strong>The</strong> <strong>Parish</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> -<strong>June</strong> <strong>2022</strong> Please mention <strong>The</strong> <strong>Parish</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> when responding to advertisements Simply stunning, simply Sabella If you have a love of original art, Sabella Interiors can source, curate and display your artwork and bring beautiful pieces direct to your home to consider, with no obligation. We work with galleries, art dealers and experts, all with the knowledge to create the perfect art collection for you. Sonning-on-Thames, Berkshire and Alderley Edge, Cheshire Call us for an informal chat or visit <strong>The</strong> Studio (by appointment only) www.sabellainteriors.com | 0118 944 9629 | 07780 836747 | enquiries@sabellainteriors.com
HOME AND GARDEN <strong>The</strong> <strong>Parish</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> - <strong>June</strong> <strong>2022</strong> 35 In the garden Gushcha, dreamstime.com Is it time to get out that stuffed dog? Some simple, well proven ways to save energy — Turn off the lights when you leave a room. — Turn down your thermostat by at least a degree, or two, or three! — Get some LED bulbs – they are six times more efficient, last much longer, and use 90% less energy than old-style bulbs. — Shower rather than bath. Don’t worry about a bit of dirt on children. It can strengthen the immune system and help prevent allergies. — Don’t boil the kettle all the time – it eats up about 6% of all your electricity per year. Make a pot rather than a mug, so that you drink as much, but less often. — Make a draught excluder, the ones that look like sausage dogs. Don’t turn up the heat to combat a draught, fix the draught. — Keep doors closed. If you don’t need to heat your whole house, don’t. — Put more clothes on. We all know people who like to wear only tee-shirts at home, even in winter. Get them to put on a jumper, cuddle the dog, wrap up in a blanket, or run up and down the stairs, not turn up the heating. — Set your washing machine at 30°, rather than 40°. It can reduce energy use by 60%. — Use your electric clothes dryer less. It can account for 5% of all household electricity. Far cheaper to buy a washing line! — Use your oven only when you can fill it up. Never cook just one thing at a time. And when you are done, leave the oven door open to help heat the house. All of these are small steps, but together they could make a big difference this year. Platinum Jubilee Recipe of the Month Step back 70 platinum years and enjoy an original 'Coronation Chicken' created by Rosemary Hume for Queen Elizabeth II’s Coronation lunch on 2 <strong>June</strong> 1953. It was later included in the Constance Spry Cookery Book, first published in 1956. This recipe serves 6-8 people. PREPARING THE MEAT: Poach two young roasting chickens with carrot, bouquet garni, salt and peppercorns in water and a little wine, to barely to cover, for about 40 minutes or until tender. Allow to cool in the liquid. Joint the birds, remove bones with care. TO MAKE THE CREAM OF CURRY SAUCE — 1 tbsp oil Heat the oil, add onion, cook gently — 50g/2oz onion, finely chopped for 3-4 minutes, add curry powder. — 1 dessert spoon curry powder Cook again for 1-2 minutes. — 1 good tsp tomato purée Add purée, wine, water, and bay — 1 wineglass red wine leaf. Bring to boil, add salt, sugar — ¾ wineglass water to taste, pepper, and the lemon and — A bay leaf lemon juice. Simmer with the pan — Salt, sugar, a touch of pepper uncovered for 5-10 minutes. Strain — A slice or two of lemon and a and cool. Add by degrees to the squeeze of lemon juice mayonnaise with the apricot purée — 1-2 tbsp apricot purée to taste. Adjust seasoning, adding a — 450ml/¾ pint mayonnaise little more lemon juice if necessary. — 2-3 tbsp lightly whipped cream Finish with the whipped cream. TO SERVE: Mix a small amount of the sauce (enough to coat the chicken) with a little extra cream and seasoning. Mix the chicken and the sauce together, arrange at one end of a dish, coat with the extra sauce. At the Queen’s Coronation an oblong dish was used with a rice salad at the other end of the dish. <strong>The</strong> salad was made of rice, peas, diced raw cucumber and finely chopped mixed herbs, all mixed in a well-seasoned French dressing. Famveldman, dreamstime.com Mosquitoes! Do they make you see red? Mosquitoes date back millions of years, they seem to have always been around, and with summer officially starting on 21 <strong>June</strong> we can be sure that these blood sucking insects will still be with us in our gardens this year. <strong>The</strong>re are, of course, lots of ideas about how to avoid them by using such things as sprays, zappers or citronella candles. COOLER SHADES Here's another suggestion that follows a recent study in Nature Communication, a peer-reviewed, open access, scientific journal published by Nature Research, which interestingly was founded in 1869, the same year that this magazine was first published. This latest study suggests that we might also consider not wearing red clothes. It seems that mosquitoes see only certain wavelengths of light, and therefore only certain colours are seen to be a source of food. Red is their favourite colour! Fortunately, white, green, purple or blue clothes go unnoticed by the hungry bugs. So, it may be helpful this summer to cover your skin with cooler shades of clothes. But don’t expect miracles, because unfortunately, mosquitos are also attracted by our breath, our sweat and even the temperature of our skin. Which, sadly, puts you back to square one!