Japan-easy

The Japanese Tea Ceremony – chadō - has been beguiling western visitors for centuries. Travelers have been seduced by this calm and elegant ritual which would not have evolved in our Western time-poor culture. Routed in wabi - meaning sober refinement and subdued taste – chadō is about "humility, restraint and simplicity; emphasizing simple objects and celebrating the mellow beauty that time and care imparts" (from Chanoyu, the Art of Tea").

East meets West in the form of this brand new ''tetsubin'' – Japanese tea pot – which sees the marriage of traditional Japanese design with the European desire for efficiency of use. This practical and easy to use tea maker can be used with tea bags, but is much better used for speciality loose tea, as the plunger traps the loose tea just like a cafetiere traps ground coffee.

It can also go on the hob to warm before use or to keep warm and can be used as a kettle.

Bodum Cast Iron Tea Press £45

Visit us at our East Dulwich Store; Roullier White, 125 Lordship Lane, London SE22 8HU or shop online at www.roullierwhite.com

Mothering Sunday flowers that are a cut above the rest

When we find a unique service or something amazing we like to share. Since we recently discovered Serenata Flowers lucky friends of ours who have birthdays in March have all been receiving stunning bunches of 50 white or pink tulips. 

At only £29.99 with free next day delivery, unless you wish to specify a particular delivery time, they are excellent value for money. Mum, we hope you are not reading this!

Order quickly now if you wish to surprise your Mother with something truly elegant this weekend. Click on www.serenataflowers.com/

Go on make Ma’s day - Mothering Sunday made simple

My sister claims her earliest memory is being yanked by me from her bed to help carry a tray of Weetabix in water and undiluted orange squash into my sleeping parents sometime before dawn on Mothers Day. Whether it is this rude awakening or the look of abject horror on my mother’s face that sticks in my sister’s mind is unclear, either way the event left several family members emotionally scarred. To avoid a similarly distressing start to your one day of the year, I suggest Dulwich mums leave this month’s Hectic Host prominently placed to encourage dads to do a spot of pre-emptive planning.

Follow these easy, stress free steps to a delicious Sunday lunch that dad and the kids can prepare in no time and, more importantly, with very little clearing up afterwards.

Dads should get up early on Saturday and head to Moxons, the new fishmongers on Lordship Lane. Stock up on Madagascan prawns and fillets of organic salmon. On Sunday morning the whole family, apart from mum, can help make Posh Prawn Cocktail. Repeatedly layer rocket, prawns and homemade Marie Rose sauce into over sized red wine glasses and top off with a wedge of lime. To make the Marie Rose sauce simply mix organic mayonnaise from SMBS Foods with Stoke’s Spicy Tomato Ketchup from The East Dulwich Deli in equal quantities.

For the main course place the salmon fillets on sheets of foil smeared with a little olive oil, spoon over Spank’s Ginger & Chilli Dipping Sauce from the Cheese Block, seal the foil into a parcel and bake in a preheated oven, 200 degrees, for 20 minutes. Serve with a stir fry of peas, sugar snaps, mange tout and baby sweet corn.

For pudding, halve pears and remove the core and seeds. Arrange in a circular formation in a round oven proof dish, £15 from Roullier White, with a gap left in the centre. Into this gap spoon a couple of large tablespoons of your favourite jam. Apricot or peach are delicious. Dab each pear part with a little butter and then crumble some macaroons over the whole dish. Place in the preheated oven for 15 minutes.

Further entertainment for the kids, and respite for mum, can be found on East Dulwich Road, where Puffin Crafts provides all the materials necessary for children and adults alike to make handmade cards. Next door All Fired Up is a café where children can paint ceramics and have them fired afterwards; a unique Mother’s Day offering.

Mums of a certain generation will enjoy bopping round the kitchen, whilst dad does the washing up, to Nouvelle Vague’s new album; A Band Apart. This mix of Bossa Nova style covers of 80’s new wave hits is £12.95 from Roullier White.

Moxons Fishmonger; 149 Lordship Lane

East Dulwich Deli; 15 Lordship Lane

Cheese Block; 69 Lordship Lane

Puffin Crafts; 36 East Dulwich Road

All Fired Up; 34 East Dulwich Road

Roullier White, 125 Lordship Lane

www.roullierwhite.com

Blooming marevellous - making Mother's Day flowers last longer

With Mothering Sunday just a week away it is important to make sure mum properly conditions the flowers in her bouquet to ensure the stems last as long as possible.

Conditioning involves the preparation of cut plant material prior to its arrangement, to ensure that its life is not unduly shortened. Correct conditioning will make sure that flowers and foliage last for the maximum time, providing the most value and enjoyment.

One of the most common causes of wilting in cut flowers and foliage is the presence of an air-lock in the stem. The air-lock usually forms as the flower is cut, when atmospheric pressure forces air into the water ducts of the stem in which there is normally a partial vacuum. It is virtually impossible to prevent the ends of dry-packed flowers and foliage from drying out during transit from the grower to the wholesaler, and from the wholesaler to the Florist. For this reason, many flowers are now shipped with their stems in a few inches of water.

Flowers cut from the garden and left for any time before being conditioned will also form an air lock, so always carry a bucket of water with you into the garden, so that you can place the plant material into water immediately, on a temporary basis, thus preventing the stem ends from drying out.

All plant material should be unpacked as soon as possible after buying from the florist, and any plastic sleeves and elastic bands should be removed. If cutting flowers and foliage from the garden, the best time for cutting is early morning, or late evening. This is the time when flowers have the maximum amount of water in their stems, and they will condition more readily. Cutting in the heat of the day allows the material to wilt much quicker.

Whether flowers are bought from the florist, or picked from the garden, all lower leaves should be removed from each stem, as any leaves left under water when conditioning will quickly begin to rot and cause a build-up of bacteria which will clog the stem ends, preventing the uptake of water, as well as causing the water to smell foul.

All buckets used for conditioning should be meticulously clean, and should be cleaned out regularly, to prevent the build up of bacteria. After removing the lower leaves, all stem ends should have the bottom ½" - 1" removed at a sharp angle, thus exposing more of the central area of the stem, known as the xylem tissue, which is responsible for the uptake of water. As a general rule, buckets should be filled to about ¼ full with warm water, to which cut flower food has been added at the appropriate rate. This will prolong the life of the flowers, and helps to prevent bacterial growth. Using warm water allows the water to enter the stem more rapidly, so conditioning is quicker. However, use cool water for bulb flowers, unless you want them to open quickly. Flowers and foliage should be left in the water for at least two or three hours, and preferably overnight, before arranging them.One important thing to remember is that stem ends should never be hammered, as this causes damage to the tissues, which leads to a build up of bacteria, thus shortening the life of the material.

Plant material should be conditioned according to its stem type, and conditioning varies with different stem types:-

Woody Stems (E.g. Roses, Mimosa, Eucalyptus, Beech, Yew, Pittosporum, etc.)

Stems should be cut at a sharp angle, and the stem ends split for about ½". Remove all the lower foliage which will be below the level of the water, and place the stems in a bucket about ¼ filled with warm water, to which cut flower food has been added at the appropriate rate.

Semi-Woody Stems (E.g. Chrysanthemums, Lilies, Carnations, Leatherleaf, Asparagus Fern, etc.)

These should be conditioned by cutting the stem ends at a sharp angle, removing all the lower foliage which will be below the level of the water, and placing the stem ends in a bucket about ¼ filled with warm water, to which cut flower food has been added at the appropriate rate. Special flower food is available for Lilies, and this should be used if possible.

Soft Stems (E.g. Freesia, Hellebore, Anemone, etc.)

Condition as above, but deeper water should be used so that the flowers are immersed up to their necks. After a good overnight drink, the flowers can then be arranged.

Hollow Stems (E.g. Delphiniums, Lupins, etc.)

Hollow stems are notorious for forming air-locks, as air enters the stem as soon as it is cut. Cut the stems at an angle and remove lower leaves as usual. Turn the stems upside down, and fill the hollow stem with tepid water. Plug the stem with cotton wool, or hold your thumb over it until it is placed in the bucket.

Milky Stems (E.g. Poppies, Euphorbias, Poinsettias, Ficus, etc.)

The stems of some flowers exude a milky substance, called latex, when cut. This can be messy, and also can be an irritant if it comes into contact with the skin. Therefore, plant material in this category should have the stem ends cut, and then the end should be burnt in a flame for a few seconds, to seal it. The cut stem ends can also be rinsed under running warm water to remove excess latex, before placing into warm water for conditioning.

Bulbous Stems (E.g. Daffodils, Tulips, Bluebells, Hyacinths, etc.)

Most bulbous stemmed flowers are pulled, not cut, from the plant by the grower. This means that the end of the stem is often white and firm. The stem will often not drink from this white area, therefore, it should be removed completely, by cutting at an angle, as water can only be absorbed through the green part of the stem. Bulb flowers should be conditioned in cool to tepid water, unless the flowers are wanted open, as warm water speeds up the development of bulbous flowers. Special flower food for bulb flowers is available, and should be used if possible. Special Note - Daffodil stems exude a poisonous sap when cut. This will kill other flowers if Daffodils are conditioned in the same water. Therefore, they should always be conditioned separately. If they are being arranged in water, they should be arranged separately, but if being arranged in floral foam, this is not necessary, and they can be arranged together with other flowers.

Furniture fest foiled

Further to our recent selection of pet-off-furniture tips, Mr Hooper, a customer from Barnes, has emailed us to tell us that cats hate walking on aluminium foil. Place sheets of this on your sofas and surfaces to keep kitty off. This is particularly effective when training young cats. 

Any more pet tips? 

Please email them through to mrswhite@roullierwhite.com

Dryerballs – the revolutionary new gadget that plays hardball.

For an initial investment of just £10 every household with a tumble dryer can save between £40 and £73 per annum, conserve energy, reduce carbon emissions and eliminate the need for nasty chemical fabric conditioner, whilst fully conditioning clothes and laundry.

Depending on its efficiency every tumble dryer costs its owner between £163.30 and £294.32 per year; and this is based on average use, so it could be costing you a lot more. A simple, one off purchase of Dryerballs, new from Roullier White, can shave a minimum of 25% of this bill

These non-toxic and allergy-free balls are an environmentally friendly way to soften your clothes and reduce drying time by 25% (due to separation of the clothes in the dryer). There is no need to add a chemically laden “softening” dryer sheet or use fabric softener in your wash. Place both balls in the tumble dryer and operate the machine at the usual heat setting for the fabrics.

Dryerballs also help to eliminate wrinkles and creases making clothes easier to iron. Customers of Roullier White’s extremely high quality cotton towels and bathrobes are advised not to use fabric conditioners in their wash as this destroys the fabric absorbency, Dryerballs are the perfect solution.

Dryerballs are re-usable - just leave them in the tumble dryer to get the benefits time and time again! £10 two balls per pack from www.roullierwhite.com

Hair raising issue - dealing with dog and cat fur on furniture

Sometimes man’s best friend can be your own worst enemy when trying to keep your home clean and hygienic. Dog and cat hair can be a nightmare to clean off furniture and if not dealt with properly and regularly can be an almost insurmountable problem. The hair of the dog could drive you to drink.

To quickly and effectively pick up hair of furniture; wearing a slightly moistened rubber gloves (checkout Roullier White True Blues, the ultimate household glove) wipe over the area, the fur will collect in ball that can easily be thrown away. Use the same treatment on carpets, or if the area is too large, gently drag your foot in a rubber soled training shoe across the pile towards you. You will be amazed at the results.

Of course your ideal situation maybe one one where your pets do not jump onto your prized pieces of furniture. Try plastic carpet protection which you can buy in lengths from your local carpet dealer. Before you go out lay the carpet protector upside down on your sofa and chairs. The small spikes, designed to stop the protector slipping on carpet, will not harm your animal but will make the furniture uncomfortable enough for him or her not to want to stay.

Cats hate citrus fruits so a cushion stuffed with lemon or orange skin will keep them away, peel placed around in the soil pot plants stops them digging these up too.

For another safe, non toxic and pet and child friendly tip is to spray furniture with Bitter Apple – from good pet shops– a natural taste deterrent to stop injured dogs licking their wounds. Also try rubbing laundry soap on electric cables to stop puppies chewing through them.

If you would like to share your pet friendly household tips please email them through to mrswhite@roulliewhite.com

Gleaming bathroom tiles for six months

To keep your shower and bathroom tiles clean and gleaming for six months simply clean them with vinegar, to remove all smears, then treat with car wax. Having cleaned them with the vinegar, apply a four by four square of tiles with car wax; then buff. This will avoid streaking and water marking.