Granny Mouse Country House & Spa is known for is their all-round hospitality service, outstanding food, and their exquisite gardens!

The one thing that Sean Granger, “Mouse House” General Manager, has noticed is that when families have popped in for a taste of the best “lunch time nibbles”, once the kids have eaten they head outside and are fascinated by the gardens. And this has inspired him to share his observations and give some pointers below.

There are so many reasons why gardening is important for our “little ones” (and for adults too) – spending time in nature, huge stress reliever, controls & calms emotions, and it is educational in that it teaches them skills from responsibility to understanding and respect of their environment.

More importantly and imperative, it is knowing how to produce your own food source.

Teaching the kids to garden is a great way to get them interested in learning more about their outside environment and learning how to take care of it. By getting their little hands dirty, children can then learn firsthand where their food comes from – not just the grocery store.

In this world of technology, it not only gets the kids out of the house to enjoy fresh air and exercise, but also helps them to develop healthy eating habits, especially if they are eating the rewards of their labour.

Gardening can start from any age, and learning the key fundamentals from young is key, such as where and what you are going to plant, checking the soil is right and ensuring there is plenty of sunshine and water drainage.

To start, do the necessary prep and make sure the soil is just right for the toddler to dig. Don’t make the time competitive, just be relaxed and enjoy the time spent together. It’s going to get messy, and it may not be done right, but it is fun chaos. Have an area mapped out for further digging as you know they will want to continue the chaos.

When planting foods, make sure that you eat what you are growing, as the little ones will be more inclined to give the harvest they have helped grow a try. Begin planting anything easy or that grows quickly, like sunflowers, pumpkins, or watermelons. Keep the higher grade planting of tomatoes, peppers, or carrots for the older kids.

Let the kids take over their project by making sure they water their plants or flowers as needed and then watch the plants or flowers grow! The benefits are endless, and it gives the kids a firsthand look at life cycles and wildlife. They observe textures, smells, tastes, sounds, and so many colours as well. The garden stimulates all of their senses more than most anything else imaginable.

With any planting or gardening experience, there is bound to be the curiosity from the little bugs and insects. This, along with the various plants and leaves, encourages the study of creatures too, their habitats, and what they enjoy and don’t enjoy. Keep it simple, and talk about the worms and other creatures and the work that they do to make the garden a living happy place. This can even spike the imagination, and once again have a new found respect for their environment and the animals that live in it.

Turn a chore into an educational hobby and get them involved in the physical activity of gardening, such as turning compost, digging and raking. This strengthens the muscles and ultimately helps grow healthy bodies. Working in the garden helps improve focus and memory, and can assist with speech and language problems. It’s also great for building social skills.

The ultimate objective is to have fun, and learn about the environment around them…one messy, chaotic shovel at a time.

Don’t forget a hat and sunscreen and Happy Growing!!!

When we waste food, we waste the labour, effort, investment and precious resources (like water, seeds, feed, etc.) that go into producing it, not to mention the resources that go into transporting and processing it. In short, wasting food increases greenhouse gas emissions and contributes to climate change!

To address this, leftover foods can be a blessing to both your budget and your time. They’re also a great way to diminish food waste.

Whether you’re eating at home or out at a restaurant, don’t let leftover edible food go to waste in the trash or compost bin. No amount is too little to save when your hard-earned money and resources are on the line.

World stats are actually quite frightening of how much waste stems from households.

One of the ways people waste food in their homes is by cooking too much and forgetting about, or not eating up, their leftovers.

The culinary artist at Granny Mouse Country House & Spa would like to share some worthy tips when going out to buy produce at the local grocery store that will help you save money and time and help you use up efficiently.

To start, always look at what you currently have in your fridge, freezer or pantry cupboard and then make a list and stick to it. How many of us are guilty of going shopping, while hungry, and completely vying off track because the food looks good?

Try having a plan when making the list too, as this helps tremendously when planning the meals for the week which is more doable than for the month.

After cooking, if there is a fair amount of food left over, freeze it, so if you don’t feel like cooking one night, there is something available to defrost.

Try to not get caught with specials i.e. buy three and pay for two, as there will no doubt be wastage. If you do buy in bulk, especially meat, divide it into portions and freeze for later. If you are buying specials, look at imperfect options as sometimes these can save you some money (provided they are still safe and nutritious).

When storing fruits and veggies, most of them tend to rot quite quickly, so make sure they go into the fruit draw of the fridge. Make sure your potatoes, onions and garlic are stored in cool, dry and dark places.

Once you have opened up a food item that has been packaged e.g. cornflakes etc. make sure you store in an airtight container.

Take into account the season too. In Summer, do not leave perishable food at room temperature as you will be throwing it away in no time.

Your freezer is probably your best friend when it comes to storing and preserving food, such as your bread and fruit (even bananas, which make for a base for fantastic smoothies).

Something of interest – the fridge door is the warmest part of the fridge so don’t store eggs and milk there as they are likely to go off quickly. The lowest shelves are the coolest parts of the fridge, and check that the temperature of your fridge is sitting at around 4°C.

If you have cooked up a meal and you don’t want to eat it in that way again, then repurpose it. Make a soup, a stew, or even stir fry.

For those of us that love to dine out, if you cannot finish you meal, get a “doggie” bag or, better still, bring your own container, as polystyrene is a form of plastic that finds its way into our oceans and kills so much of our marine life.

The delight of having takeaway food the next day for lunch at the office saves you time from having to make lunch, or buying lunch.

Hopefully these tips will help reduce landfills, conserving our resources and, of course, saving your hard earned cash.